Protecting The Moon
by MLPPP217
Summary: After centuries of war to save all of Equestria they send him back in time with barely any knowledge and a heavy load to bear. Will he survive? Will she? You Decide by READING and REVIEWING... YEAH... ALRIGHT... so... R&R also did i mention Review?
1. Old Wars Rekindled

**Old Wars Rekindled**

**2735**

**Plains of Celestia**

Being a Soldier for the faction of the Earth Ponies is never easy. The Pegasus has their wings, the Unicorns have their magic and then there is us. We have made many critical advances through the years with the most notable being the projectile weapon the gun as it is most called though these things were copied shortly after meaning constantly defeat for us.

It has been so bad in recent years that the majority of our bases have moved underground so as to escape the tirade of magic, air and technological assault that we are bombarded with.

However we are not the kind of ponies to just roll around in the dirt oh no we are strong and will fight till our last breath leaves our bodies. That also brings us to the question of my job. Fighting, for I am soldier number 200032465 A-class for the United Earth Republic or the U.E.R as they are called. Many of us are ordinary soldiers like I was at first, but as time went on the rest of the unit I had trained with were all dead to be replaced by new ponies which in turn died. I am the only original member of A Unit and now they want me to be replaced by another pony.

I have been ordered to central HQ under the grounds of the wasteland where a city called Ponyville once lay. I arrived at the Bunker entrance to find a single earth pony guarding it with only a mutter I was let through the doors. I had imagined higher security and wasn't disappointed as monitors and scanners began checking me over.

**Name: **Captain Asimov Foundation of A-Unit

**Age: **23

**Origin of Birth: **Underground Selection Centre 215

**Eyes: **Brown

**Flank: **Brown

**Mane:** Black

**Conflicts: **Upon graduating with honours from Training Centre 1276 (now defunct) Asimov was stationed at his first conflict in Manehatten as a simple Militia. After saving the lives of many of his comrades after the Manehatten Pegasus Attacks (see file 2984933949) he was moved to a new line of Unit programs called Alpha-Unit. Passing through 129 conflicts while retaining his physical and mental Status set a record amongst the armies of the U.E.R and by the end of his career had achieved the rank of Captain.

**Current Status: **(Classified)

I stared at the monitor as the information whizzed past me. Was this my life? Nothing more than a jumble of numbers and wars. I could have walked out like that had it not been for the fact I was born to be a soldier, and soldiers don't talk unless spoken to.

The scans checked out however and I proceeded on through their checks until I arrived at the Lobby. It was clean; I mean no dirt like the other underground facilities. There were no dead or injured ponies on the floor or junk and supplies just pristine white floors which I could see my face in.

"Good evening Captain, we apologise for the Security measurements but you know how it is these years what with genetic spies being implanted into our ranks" came a voice from an intercom somewhere. "If you could please walk down the hallway to the left until you come to the end we shall brief you from there".

I did as I commanded and walked down the hallway until I came to another door where a guard with a pulse rifle stood and looked me over before nodding and saluting. I saluted back and proceeded into another white room where a scientist stood with a clipboard and a frown.

"Captain I am here to issue your new equipment, I know nothing of what they want but all will be explained in the next room". Said the stern mare as panels opened up on the sides of the wall.

My standard uniform and armour was discarded as my body was covered in Black Armour which felt strong but incredibly light. I was given some standard field supplies and weapons like my combat knife and sidearm but when it came to the pulse rifle the look in my eyes must have told the scientist all.

"We experimented with some new technology and came up with a new kind of rifle; you see the crystal inside this is extremely rare and should last for hundreds of years before it wears down. The rifle she handed me was simply awesome, but my training held me back from doing anything.

Finally she presented me with a small hard backpack with what looked like thrusters on each side. "Those are new, they run on a power source similar to that crystal and although you won't be able to fly it is good for long jumps and gliding for a short time.

She tightened everything on me and looked at my eyes. "I know that whatever they want from you will be challenging but I know that you will make it through whatever they throw at you" she said as she handed me a small chain with the picture of the moon on it.

Before I could refuse she shoved me into the next room which I hadn't noticed while I was suiting up. It was white like the others except there was a lot of pylons and a viewing theatre from which the leader of the U.E.R was looking through, down at me.

I put the rifle against my shoulder and saluted her but her steely voice came through the intercoms. "Enough Captain, there is more pressing matters at stake". I dropped my hoof and stared up at her. "She looked unfazed as a large bang erupted from behind her.

"Captain we know this is short notice but for nearly a century now our scientists have been working on the concept of time travel, you probably have heard rumours at the front line about this but I can now confirm them".

"My head swam as she said this but I just stood there and listened. "I can see you are sticking to protocol Captain... that is good, it means the facilities have at least some kind of value. However this is not the time, the U.E.R is about to be wiped out, yes the Pegasus have won the Nuclear arms race and are mere hours away from annihilating all life in our sector unless we can do one thing". I stared up at her remaining silent as she awaited me to answer. "Perhaps we trained you too well, anyway in the year 2012 the Sister to the deity Princess Celestia was killed whether by some unknown faction or somepony we don't know, blaming herself Celestia retreated into the Sun where she has stayed since and the ponies of Equestria began to fight over themselves eventually leading to different ponies blaming each other". "This is the reason for this terrible war and it was the cause of something we don't know about but blame on each other so your mission is simple" she said pausing for dramatic effect. "Protect Princess Luna, Save the World and for god sake learn how to smile" she attempted to add humour to the grim task that had so rapidly unfolded before me.

As she said this I heard a much louder boom and this time the room shuddered. "There is no time, start the machine!" yelled the leader. "Listen now Asimov you are our only hope, of survival of peace you will experience brief pain followed by intense blood loss but you will arrive at a castle where Luna has emerged after 1000 year exile" she spoke frantically as machines began to power up. "Stay safe an sharp soldier" she said, but all I could think about was the intense pain I felt before I was zapped with pure energy which made me cry out.

I tried to stand up straight as my body was flooded by a chrome energy but I collapsed and the world went dark.


	2. Watching

**Watching**

I opened my eyes to a sound I had only heard described in old tales from before the war. Birds, they were so beautiful with their sweet songs. But then the sound of screams could be heard and I realised I must still be on the battlefield and got knocked out. I jumped up and  
opened my eyes to what I first thought was heaven I realised was fields and trees and behind me an old looking castle. I looked down at myself and saw I was in my advanced Armour getup. "Great so it was not a dream and now I'm stuck with the weight of the future on my shoulders". I moved against the wall being sure to stay silent as I got in closer through all the rubble.

I knew the tales of Nightmare Moon and of Celestia forgiving her for the huge war she had started by me didn't interpret the Lady of the night to be so... Striking, was the word I used. Even though it was my kind I still found it a breach of orders to think of my protectorate as beautiful.

Celestia stood a head above everyone (including me) and had flowing rainbow like hair for a mane. Six other ponies were around her, The Elements of Harmony as I remembered them to be called. I was not a fairy tale kind of pony but I knew se basic Myths and their names. The purple unicorn was Twilight, the white unicorn Rarity, the rainbow Pegasus was Rainbow Dash, the yellow Pegasus was Fluttershy a cute little thing and finally the two earth ponies. Pinkie Pie the insane one as I recall and Applejack the apple owner or something.

I had to keep myself from killing the four of the Mane Six who weren't Earth ponies like I'd been bred to do, being a soldier meant I was good at following orders and the first order drilled into my brain was kill anything with a horn or wings which wasn't exactly an order but damn it was hard to forget. "Why couldn't they get somepony that was capable of thinking for themselves" I thought as I edged away from the tender moment.

The party was suddenly enveloped in a flash of light as Celestia teleported the whole group out of the ruined castle. I just fell over at the sight. "This is stupid, they're Alicorn with magic and wings how I am supposed to protect them" I thought as I checked my backpack for something useful. I wish command hadn't rushed this I thought as I rummaged through loads of supplies until I came to a small metallic device which I recognised as a holographic AI. I set it down and stepped back, and then out loud I said "Activate".

The small black box opened and a transparent white image of little filly came into view. "Red Terminal Project Restart AI 300 activated, Power Levels at 100 percent DNA identified as Captain Asimov Foundation assigned to project Luna state request" said the dull voice of the AI.

I was impressed as I walked around the AI. "Red Terminal you are different from the other AI I have worked with, what was your manufacture date?" I asked. "I was manufactured in 3734 a year before I was first activated which is now" it said. "Right so what kind of files do you hold in your servers, information, maps?" I asked.

"Affirmative, the creators knew the probability of the project being finished before the Ponies Pegasus Republic of P.P.R cracked the Nuclear Fusion Theory and launched an attack on U.E.R Central HQ was small so created me on the side to assists you in your mission".

"Right so you hold current time frame maps in your memory then"? "Oh yes, you are currently in the ruins of the Castle of the Night and Moon where the historic battle between Celestia and..." "Details later for now what are the closest settlement and how do I get there?" I asked getting impatient.

I thought I could detect hurt in the AIs voice. It was gone in a second as she detailed me a direct route to Ponyville which gave me a wave of nostalgia. "Thank you Red, we shall talk later but for now I need to at least investigate where Princess Luna has gone" I said as I made to pick Red up.

"Captain wait!" she said "The creators informed me that it would be more wise to explore your current time before protecting Luna, they suggested you become friendly with those who you've fought for so long seeing as you will probably be living with them for the rest of your life".

I let out a sigh of frustration and spoke firmly to the AI "Look I have killed hundreds of ponies I was told to and I could do that because I didn't get to know them, If Command wanted me to interact and make friends then they should have given the reward to somepony else but I have a job to do and I will simply do it until the day I die now deactivate"!

The holographic image of the filly flickered and the little black box closed. I picked it up and placed it in my backpack. I slung my rifle round my neck and made to depart when across a bridge. Walking was hard as my limbs were quite stiff from the terrible Time Travel.

I trudged on however without portraying any emotions and eventually I was marching quite quickly through a forest. I thought back to the wars I could stop if I saved the Princess of the Night. It kind of made life worth living when I thought of it like that. I didn't know what it was but the cool breeze and the trees made me feel happy or what I thought was happy (I didn't experience the emotion much). No more numbers, no more logistics, tactics or petty tricks, just a simple mission in a simple world.

In a great way it was a blessing but in another way a curse. I was given a world of kindness and I was the complete opposite merciless, a warrior bred to kill from birth to fight in an everlasting war.

I snapped out of the train of thought which had popped into my head as I saw it was actually getting dark. I decided to stop for the night and set off early in the morning for Ponyville which would mean I would get there. By mid-afternoon. I looked at the starry sky in amazement and appreciation. The skies in modern Equestrian were red due to the Fillydelphia firebombing in 2675 which through loads of dust into the air as the city crumbled.

I suddenly realized I still had the pennant from that science pony around my neck. I took it off and looked at its design, simple but quite touching it was probably the only thing ever given to me from someone else that didn't involve death... Well not directly anyway.

I planted three metallic devices around me as I nestled in some grass to sleep; these motion detectors should warn me if something as large as or larger than a dog came at me. I fell asleep as I watched the sky, and dreamed of nothing but war like all my other dreams but amazingly the sky was clear this time...

I awoke the next day to find that I was indeed stuck in the past and I was not in some coma and waking up in a U.E.R hospital.

I made picked up my sensors and slung my rifle over me and set off for civilisation. I now started to trot along the rough path to Ponyville to get there quicker even though I should have been conserving my strength.

I saw a nearby river and realised I was very thirsty. I walked over to the river and as I bent Down to take a drink stared in shock at the reflection before me. It was and alright but I had a black body and a silvery short long mane which really got in the way. I got out Red and after angrily saying "Activate" yelled "Why the hell am I a different colour"?!

Red seemed unfazed by this level of shouting and looked actually bored for a moment before answering "If you had but listened to me the other day I would have fully explained the situation" "Time travel is risky because particles can be mixed up during time travel so you most likely took the colour of something like your armour and it mixed with your skin molecules". "I'm actually surprised a piece of metal didn't lodge in you thick skull but I guess the odds were better for you, now please don't disturb me and get on with your mission" said Red in a dismissal voice as she deactivated.

I sat their stunned as Red said all this. I had worked with a few AI systems, most of them rather pathetic and basic it Red was something new, almost like a real pony. I put her box back in my pack somewhat guilty now and went over to look at the new me.

I didn't so much think about fashion, more of how much easier it would be to sneak in the dark now. The mane was a problem however and so dropping my rifle I drew my knife and cut all the hair back until it was neat and short. "More importantly not in the way" I murmured to myself.

So I filled my canteen, grabbed my rifle and set off again. I jogged for a few hours until I finally came to the edge of this forest and the sight of Ponyville filled my vision.

I began to walk down the winding path to the colourful town all the while wondering how I was going to do this. I had only been spoken to, apart from me ordering my men the longest conversation I'd held with a civilian was Duck!

However a pink pony was making her way down the path and I realised even though these ponies didn't know war I might look quite frightening to them. Too late to Change now however as the pink pony who I now recognised as Pinkie Pie came closer.

She looked up and gasped as she disappeared running at full pelt into the town. Ok new plan, I ran back to the forest and after burying my armour and backpack under a large tee decided to go in only wearing my belt with my knife and sidearm in it.

I began trying to casually walk into town but I felt naked without my weapons and armour as I strolled in through gates saying Ponyville. I saw ponies all around me, Pegasus ponies, unicorns but the majority was Earth ponies which made me feel slightly better. I tried to suppress the urge to snap a brown unicorn's neck as he budged into me quite clumsily.

I made my way through the ponies looking for some information point or someone who looked like she knew Princess Luna when I saw the Purple Unicorn from a day ago enter what looked like a really pretty bakery.

I decided that if anyone were to know where Luna was it would be her and followed her into the bakery quite unaware at what I would find inside would lead to a startling amount of pain for something that people once told me was supposed to be a happy thing... oh well.


	3. It's Complicated

**It's Complicated  
**  
I headed into the bakery after the purple unicorn and as I entered into what appeared to be darkness the door shut behind me. A trap was the fore thought in my head but. Store I could whip out my sidearm the lights came on and an explosion of colours met my eyes as everyone in the room (and I detected thirty-four) yelled "Surprise"!

The astounding colours and onside were harsher to me than any flash-bang grenade and I immodestly assessed the situation. It was a party foursome one else I had obviously stumbled upon; I would simply explain and be on my way.

I processed this all in mere seconds but it was all made waste when the hyperactive Pink Pony came up to me and started talking really fast. "Ohh I love parties and I noticed you were new in town so I simply had to throw you a welcome to Ponyville party and invite all my friends do you like cake?

I actually stumbled back over the onslaught of words as the bouncing pink pony edged closer and closer to me. "Come on Pinkie he's new" said the purple Unicorn called Twilight. "Let him catch a breath and tell us his name" she said kindly. Everyone in the room looked at me and seemed to smile (what is it with this time and smiling) I thought. I would normally have either gone with general Plan A which was shoot to kill or Plan B escape by any means necessary but due to the fact that these were the Mane Six and that these were really kind Ponies I invented a quick Plan C. "I'm sorry but I have to go see someone I will probably never see you again goodbye!" I said in a hurry as I quickly edged towards the door.

Everyone laughed as I said this and Twilight's horn glowed with magic and I remember getting lifted off my feet. "Don't me nervous its ok, come and enjoy the party".

She put me down and gasped slightly "What on earth happened to you t cutie mark"! Now everyone looked at my flank and gasped as they saw what was left of my cutie mark. "Look I err" they all started to look at each other and at my cutie mark.

Ok this isn't going so well, I am in the middle of a party room with thirty ponies starting to ask questions and I am not a diplomat... Time for Plan B.

I pressed a small device on my belt and a sonic wave hit everyone, deafening them and smashing the bakery's windows. Twilight and the others dropped to the floor their hooves over their ears in pain.

I was immune due to the number of times I'd heard it and quickly made for the exit only to see Pinkie Pie snorting in rage and charging after me. I saw the sonic incapacitator's effects beginning to wear off on the others and quickly changed direction, running up the nearest flight of stairs.

The insane pink pony seemed to leap up them as I went I could see she was seriously pissed off. "HOW DARE YOU RUIN A PINKIE PIE WELCOME PARTIE!" she shouted as her hair seemed to fizz all over the place.

I could hear moans from down stairs and soon the Mane Six was here and I was backed against a window. "Youre going to explain why and what you did now" said Rainbow dash, pounding her hoof into the floor. I looked at the window and at the ponies before me. I think I'll take my chances with the window I thought as I fell through it.

I landed on my hooves but felt a stabbing pain in my back and found a large piece of glass sticking out of me. I ignored it however and began galloping across Ponyville; attracting stares all round as I went with blood streaming down my back.

I made it into the forest by the time the town bell started ringing. I felt rather weak as I now began limping over to the tree I'd buried my gear under, after retrieving said gear I began moving deeper through the forest in the hope that none would follow me this deep into the forest.

After an hour of half walking running I finally stopped by a stream, absolutely exhausted from the ordeals I'd faced in Ponyville. I got Red out and set her on a nearby rock I activated her as I called her now and she gasped a robotic gasp when she saw me. "Captain what have you done" she asked. Well I went into Ponyville and attempted to socialise with the locals but ended up getting cornered by an insane Pink Pony and jumping out a window" I said calmly as I took out some pills and promptly swallowed them.

Red seemed to not like the density of my answer but she accepted it and asked "orders"? "For now set up a short range scanner and help me diagnose this piece of glass sticking out of me". "Why weren't you in your armour?" asked Red. "Well even though I'm no spy I can tell that walking into town like that would land me in a predicament". "You are in a predicament" said Red rather smugly considering I was in a lot of pain.

"Have you scanned everything yet" I asked now getting annoyed as I began to take out surgical gloves and a cell replicating hypo. "There is nothing my short range scanners can pick up for half a mile and you have a piece of glass the size of a small plate lodged between your ribs" she said calmly. "Right so I guess I can't just pull it out then" I asked. "You could but you would lose a staggering amount of blood before the cell hypo set in" she said.

I thought of this problem for a moment before I'd decided what to do. "Ok I need to move quickly so I'm going with the simplest plan" I said as I grabbed a nearby tree branch. "You do realise that this is jeopardising mission parameters" she said sternly. "Well I don't want to blow my cover yet and let any assassins know of my existence so I need to go in stealthily and this will be made difficult if I have a big shard of bloody glass stuck in me!" I ended up yelling.

I must have startled some local birds as I shouted because it seemed to go dead quiet all around. I looked at Red with a (can I continue) look and I set up the hypo for a quick stab after I pulled the shard out. I put the branch in my mouth and bit down on it as I quickly reached back and pulled it out in one fluid moment. I bit down on the log, crushing it in my mouth as I fumbled for the Cell Hypo Which I stabbed into me. The effects were instantaneous as the blood stopped gushing out Of me as my muscle and skin cells began to repair themselves. This was still agony for me and no amount of training could keep me from the pain I was experiencing. My vision started going blurry and I must have passed out because when I came to I was lying in patch of bramble with the stars shining down on me.

I groaned as I stood up, my joints were aching and I was violently shaking. I limped over to Red's terminal and whispered "activate". Almost instantaneously she started up and in a tone I thought sounded a lot like worry said "Asimov thank god I was trying to hail you for hours" she said in a rushed voice. "I'm fine now Red you can stop inputting my deserved resignation form". Red looked at me and for the Holographic image of a filly looked quite frightening. "We have a serious problem Captain, you have been sleeping for four hours and twenty-two minutes and about an hour ago I detected a Pegasus flying at high velocity across the treetops"!

I leant against a nearby tree to steady myself before asking "You didn't happen to detect her flight pattern as being one of search did you"? "No, it was searching but very angry, I have deduced that you have somehow done this?" she asked in a sweet tone now. "I believe she is called Rainbow Dash, also I think her other five friends might be onto me so I have a plan!" I decreed as I shouldered my pack and grabbed Red and my rifle. "You cannot seriously think to be able to outrun them in your critical state!?" she asked. "No, as ashamed as I am to say it we're going to hide I said as I activated the jets on my backpack and leaped with every ounce of my strength up into the trees.

I collapsed onto the top tree branch of the same tree I'd leaned against in exhaustion. I was breathing hard as Red spoke up from inside my backpack "what did you really do in that town?" asked Red. So I explained to her about the party other ponies and the prospect of my cutie mark. "You could have talked your way out of that anyway" she said. "It wasn't just the fact I couldn't lie, my cutie mark is something I want to hide in this world" I said in embarrassment. "Captain, just because you disobeyed..." I don't want a lecture, I disobeyed and nearly got kicked out of the army for it" I said sharply "Now get a file on Princess Luna and deactivate" I said.

Red then went silent in my backpack as I got some motion detectors and through them around my tree. I was really exhausted now and tried to sleep. The pain in my back was still great as my body tried to replace lost blood and heal me.

I looked up at the night sky with a sigh as I remembered how I lost my cutie mark. I looked at the two brands on the flank where my cutie mark once was. All that remained there now was the tips of what was once a star. The middle of the star had been burned out by two brand marks, a big circle with dots in its middle. I shuddered as I remembered the searing pain when I received them.

I stared blankly into the sky, noticing the moon so white and bright as if trying to cheer me up. "Well at least I still have a mission" I whispered, as I drifted off into horrifying dreams.


	4. To Fix a Rainbow

**To Fix a Rainbow**

The next day I woke up quite early As the sun had barely risen and I nearly stood up before realising that I was In a tree. I took into account the days actions as I activated Red. "Good morning Red" I said calmly as she noted her system files and current status. "You're very calm today" Red said from my backpack. "Well that hypo really repaired me, and a good night's sleep really can get you in a good mood". "Well I'm pleased for you and the mission, your success rating has just gone up by 3 percent!" she said as if this was a great achievement. "I dropped out of the tree with my jets and asked her "what is my success rate"? Err, restricted files, access denied, no entry sorry Captain". I wondered briefly if my AI just lied before shrugging this off and dropping to the ground to do a hundred or so press ups.

"So... Did you construct a file on Luna" I asked as I got into triple digits. "Yes I gathered every last scrap from my data banks and put together a file" she said. I watched as the little white holographic filly changed to a large mare with a menacing look and the moon for a cutie mark. "Princess Luna, sister to Princess Celestia, Keeper of the Moon and the protagonist of many a famed fairy tale". "For hundreds of years she watched as her sister got the glory for raising the sun whilst she got stuck with the moon, so she raised a small army and confronted Celestia in the castle you where you first arrived. Luna was defeated as Celestia used the elements of Harmony to defeat her and exiled her to the moon for one thousand years". I looked up at Red for a moment as she said that I mean disobeying your superior and trying to crush them is bad but one thousand years of solitude was not the kind of punishment anyone gave lightly.

"Anyway she escaped with the help of the stars and came back to enact her revenge and take over the moon and sun". "However The Man Six stopped her and she repented and stayed by her sisters side until she was killed about a month later". Red finished dramatically.

I collapsed as she informed me of this. "She's going to die in less than a month"! I asked in disbelief. "Yes, although details are few it is said that she is shot in the head with a crossbow and the unidentified pony slipped away before the guards knew what happened, then history happens, arguments build up as the Justice system breaks down and centuries of war ensues" said Red. I thought for a moment before asking "any idea what happened to the Mane Six"? "As I said this is digging back through centuries, but I believe that they were assassinated afterwards increasing the accusations towards the different race of pony".

I got up and shouldered my pack and rifle. "Well do you have any idea where Luna may reside now?" I asked as I picked Red up and put her in my pack. "I believe the Old Capital of Equestrian, Canterlot was where she was killed so I would suggest trying there" said Red. "All right then, well just head through the west side of the forest and..." I was cut off as I heard a scream of pain followed by a roar and the sound of crashing.

I sprinted thought the trees and leaped over a log to a very large cave where the screams were coming from. I cracked a glow stick hanging by my belt as I sprinted into the cave. I ran quite the way before I came to a solute mayhem. The Mane Six were battling what looked like a Manticore and by the looks of it not doing very well. Rainbow Dash was all bloodied in one corner with a distressed Fluttershy looking over her whilst the other four kept the Manticore occupied. Rarity and Pinkie Pie seemed to be distracting the Manticore whilst Rarity and Twilight threw rocks at it with their magic. This seemed to make the creature even more angry however as it tried to slash and kill the other ponies.

"They are not mission priorities" stated Red from my pack. "Screw parameters". I said as I dropped to my knees and cocked my rifle.

I whistled and everyone turned to look at me. "Yo kitty, go home" I yelled as I pulled the trigger on my rifle and the pulse shots started flying.

They all hit the Manticore dead centre and it roared in pain as it leapt at me. I tried to dodge but got hit in my hind legs as I came at me.

My rifle went sliding across the cavern as I did a forward roll, drawing my sidearm whilst doing so. I let an entire magazine into the Manticore who just seemed to get angrier.

It swiped at me but my armour took the brunt of the force, however still slamming me into the cavern wall where I'm sure I cracked a rib.

The other ponies came over to me but I yelled "help your friend, I've got this one!" I sincerely hoped so anyway. I pulled out my combat knife and me and the Manticore started to circle one another. I looked into the Manticore's eyes, and saw what I could detect. It seemed to have a weary look as if it wasn't fighting on purpose, however the look was replaced by sheer rage as it roared and charged me. This time I was ready however as I slashed it across the stomach. The Manticore stumbled as its blood began to pool out now, I took advantage of this and leapt onto its chest stabbing it multiple timed in the cues. Before burying my knife in its thick skull. "Fuck you" I yelled as it gave a gurgled cry and started to drag itself over to the back of the cave. This amazed me and I raised my knife high this time before plunging it into its brain once more and twisting. This time it definitely died but to make sure I grabbed my rifle and fired about forty shots into the carcass.

I staggered off the body and sat back for a second as the adrenaline began to wear off. I got up and went over to the ponies that were panicky and talking quite quickly amongst themselves. "What's the problem" I asked as I strode over to them. They all walked back slightly as they saw my bloody covered body and stern expression but Twilight quickly brushed this aside and begged "please whoever you may be do you have medical knowledge"? I nodded but Applejack interrupted "how can we trust this guy, are you forgetting what happened at the party"! "He saved our lives" said a very down Pinkie Pie "if he can save us all then he can help Rainbow". I looked at the three of them and Twilight asked "Our friend Rainbow Dash was searching for you and we thought you'd be in this cave so she flew ahead, then the Manticore attacked and she was mauled before we could get here!" she said with fresh tears springing to her eyes. "Move aside and let me see" I gruffly said, moving past them.

Fluttershy and Rarity seemed to be stemming the flow of blood and as I pushed them away I as the full extent of her injuries. A large tear across her chest whilst her entire right wing had been torn off. Even though I'd killed plenty of Pegasus I couldn't help but feel sorry for this one.

"She's losing too much blood at an increased rate, she's going to die fairly soon with or without help.

The other ponies all began tearing up before Fluttershy burst into tears and out of nowhere punched me. "This is all your fault, if you had just not hurt everyone at the party we wouldn't be searching for you" she sobbed as Rarity got up and hugged her. I looked down in shame as I turned to go but Twilight stopped me. Wait please you have strange magic you killed the Manticore with flashes you must have something for this" she pleaded tears streaming disk her face.

I stopped and turned "there's one thing I said as I rummaged in my pack and produced my last Cell hypo already extremely rare in my time". Wait right there Captain" came Red's voice from the pack. The others looked puzzled as Rarity asked "who's that"? "Mind your own business" shouted Red in an angry voice. "That Hypo  
was for whatever you may experience on the mission and not to be handed out to just anypony without direct authorisation". "Using it breaches mission parameters and shall be a sign of treason against U.E.R regulation 2476 don't waste military supplies on civilians"!

I couldn't believe my AI was dressing me down at a time like this. "Deactivate Red" I said calmly. "What..." "Deactivate Override 28451/Asimov" I shouted and she powered down.

"Twilight was obviously confused but she looked at me pleadingly and I looked at her and the bleeding Pegasus on the floor.

She was my enemy in the future and a waste of resources but also a fellow Pony and a civilian in distress.

I looked at the Hypo in my hand and then and the exit and decided...

To let you decide, yes that's right just Review my story and leave your answer:  
-Save Rainbow  
-Walk Away


	5. Pulling Together

**Pulling Together**

I uncapped the syringe and placed it by Rainbow Dash's neck. "What do you think you're doing?" asked Red. "Saving a life" I replied as I got back to positioning the needle. "I implore you to at least consider your decision"! "I've already considered Red and didn't I deactivate you"! I did a manual override of my own systems in the seconds it took you to do that" she decreed proudly. "Well why don't you use your processing power to stop me from doing this" I said as I plunged the needle into Rainbow Dash.

"You absolute moron, one day you will need that more than anything and then you'll be sorry" shouted Red as the serum went into Dash's bloodstream. "You might want to step back" I told the five ponies waiting with baited breath around me. Rainbow Dash started to moan and thrash as her chest wound was sealed until only a scar remained, then slowly (not to mention grossly) her wing bone began to grow and flesh and muscle began to wind its way up it.

At this point Rarity threw up followed by Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie whilst Applejack succeeded in not spilling her guts.

"That is the grossest thing ever" said a really green Pinkie Pie as I stared at the rebuilding of the wing. "Compared to the things I've seen this is absolute nothing" I murmured although the sight was no less pleasant.

I decided this would be a perfect time to leave and got up and walked over to the others. "She'll be fine in a few days but she took a heavy hit, keep her in bed for a while no matter how hard it is". "Finally you most likely have a few questions, well tough I'm not answering them I saved your friend and lives so just leave me be" "Try to follow me the. You'll end up like him" I motioned to the bloody Manticore mess in the back of the cave and Rarity threw up again.

"So I bid you farewell ladies and the hope your friend recovers". I turned and strode quickly towards the exit before they could stop me, behind me I heard Twilight shout "thank you" before her words were lost in the emptiness of the caves.

I walked on out and back into the forest, I couldn't help but ponder Twilight's words "thank you" I didn't quite understand the meaning as no one had ever really thanked me before. I saved civilians, soldiers and cities before but I'd never got a thank you before. It made me feel warm and as I kept walking I just kept repeating the word in my head.

"Are you finished with your petty thoughts" came a sudden voice. I stopped and opened my backpack, I set Red down on a tree and her image flared up, only this time bright red.

"You do realise that you have disobeyed command and ignored your advisors advice!" she said rather angrily.  
"Disobeying direct rules is against protocol and you have certainly overstepped the line this time" she said in a tone perfectly matching that of my old training instructor. "Listen you" I said "I'm getting tired of your hypocrite ways you say I ignored protocol then who deactivated themselves by bypassing their protocol, or how about this orders thing, as written in the laws of robotics the living organism with access always makes the decisions, you are nothing it some mirror relays in a super computer tiny black box... start acting like it".

The red image suddenly turned blue and shrank a bit too. It promptly cut off feed and deactivated. "Whatever go hide in you damn box" I yelled as I picked her up and threw her into my bag.

I was angrier than usual, maybe the fact that Red the person I'd come to trust had objected at me to saving a life. I didn't want to think about it however as I began walking east, through the forest and hopefully Canterlot.

Even though I was angry I couldn't help but give a grin as I saw the forest for all its glory. Due to the fact that I'd either been injured or asleep during my time I had never really taken it upon myself to admire the beauties of nature.

I remembered my time how the closest thing to a tree would be a piece of old furniture which in turn would be used as cover, or the animals that would actually be food...

I always tried to avoid eating meat due to not only the fact it was disgusting to taste but also barbaric. However when you've gone for a week without food the rats start to look pretty tasty.

I stopped walking when I noticed it was about mid afternoon and settled down against a log. I decided it was time to look over my gear and clean out the bits of gore from the Manticore attack. I places Red on a nearby stump and laid out everything I owned.

My Plasma rifle, Sidearm, combat knife and sets of assorted grenades was pretty much my weapons arsenal.  
A few bottles of painkillers and. ASIC First Aid Equipment was the healing Frontier. My armour and pack were my defence. Finally Red, a bunch of sensors and trackers and my watch was the closest thing to a computer I had even though Red hadn't said anything for hours.

"Red Activate" I said softly as I began cleaning my gear. Nothing happened for a few seconds and I was about to call again when suddenly her white holographic filly image appeared. "Captain" she began quietly "I wish to... Apologise for my earlier acts towards you, you are correct I am a computer, a tool for work and you are a User, a pony who is in charge of your own life..." "I'm sorry" she said solemnly turning a purple colour now. I stood up and went over to her, "you were following your programming, your orders and I can respect that but this is different, our world is war and hate and death where as this world is kindness and friendship". "We, I guess you could say are friends but I need you to be more than that I need an advisor about this world and I'd like It to be you".

Red looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding her head. "I accept your proposal Captain, now what are your orders"? "We shall take two days to reach Canterlot and  
by then it will be three weeks until the assassination so here's the plan" I said as I stared to pack my gear away. "I will keep up a jogging pace for all that time but I'll need a day to recuperate once we reach Canterlot". "We'll from there build a camp on the outskirts of town, once completed we shall recon the entire city for the next week including the castle". "Then we shall follow Princess Luna as I'm guessing she hasn't gotten back into ruling she'll have a pretty basic routine but we need to get her routes recorded". "Finally we'll plant some trackers on her which should be tricky considering the fact she's supposed to rule darkness in general" I said which was about as close as I got to comedy.

Red nodded as I picked her up and put her in my pack, "The current plan seems quite feasible but what about the margin of error"? I frowned when she said this and the best I came up with was "we'll see what happens when we come to it" and with that I began a slow trot towards my mission.

**Okay could it have been better? I write these on my IPod on the bus everyday so quality might suck now in then but it does mean I can push them out pretty fast! XD**


	6. Tales of the Forest

**Tales of the Forest**

"So how long exactly have we been going in circles?" I furiously asked Red. "About three days, two hours and ten minutes" she responded quite  
calmly from my backpack. "This doesn't make me feel better now how the hell do we get out of this forest since your maps have been ineffective to put it politely". Even though she was in my pack I could imagine the frown on her face as she responded "My maps are not wrong they just got input correctly by some stupid U.E.R programmer.

I stopped there and turned "don't speak of U.E.R like that Red" I said shakily. "Relax Asimov it's hardly like they're liquidating the both of us for insulting them across hundreds of years". "I stepped back shaking my head replying "why'd you bring me into this"?! "Red laughed as if this was something funny but I couldn't seem to get the joke. "Well we could just make camp for the night or how about". "Captain I'm detecting a life coming from 800 metres away west of here" interrupted Red.

"Damn, ok are they coming this way?" I said dropping into a crouch. "No they seem to be staying around one area" said Red quietly.

I dropped into a crouch and began moving forwards slowly. "How big" I asked as I checked the lock on my rifle. "Slightly smaller than your average pony but their DNA sequences are like nothing in my list of organisms" said Red sounding slightly confused. "Right I'll try to confront it and go with standard procedure if it attacks" I said now slowly approaching. "I'm assuming standard procedure is..." That's right shooting it in the head" I said as I approached the targets.

However as I stepped out of the dense ferns of the forest I came to the familiar sight of a certain Manticore cave. "Red why the hell am I back here" I asked irritably. "Something is inside and by its life signs it is very weak" she said quietly.

I thought back to saving Rainbow Dash and made a decision "we'll look into it but let's not waste time" I said as I entered the cave.

However as I went further in I began to hear soft calls like some sort of wounded or sad animal. I reached the back of the cave at the sight of lots of dried blood and the Carcass of the Manticore which was already starting to decompose. I coughed lightly as I neared it and thought I heard a small growl from the Carcass.

"Captain, I know procedure 342 is to not startle the commanding officer but the creatures are less than a metre from you" whispered Red.

At that moment something pounced into my side and tried to claw my armour (with little success). I responded by activating my jets which quickly threw the creature off, I landed and turned back to see a poised tiny Manticore a little smaller than me standing in front of a smaller one who was looking at me in fear.

Now I am no professor but I can put two and two together. "She was the mother" I said as I gazed at the Manticore cubs in a slightly saddened way. I remembered how I earned my second brand of failing to follow orders for exactly this situation minus one thing. I had a choice.

"I killed their mother and now they have no one left to look after them". "I see no problem Asimov just put them out of their misery" said Red a little too coldly for my liking. "Red I am the commander here and although I would save an immense amount of time just killing them I cannot do that" I murdered as I pulled a small tube from my belt. "Article 8647 of the U.E.R states quite clearly that any enemy". "The U.E.R doesn't exist dammit now shut up and follow my damn orders!" I yelled angrily as I placed the tube over my rifle.

"Look Captain I read the report from Hooftown, what they asked of you was against war humanitarian article 12, but as you said back in the forest-the U.E.R program's need to be kept and although the small exceptions like Rainbow Dash was bad enough you now want to take care of two animals when our mission is to protect Luna at all costs and save Equestria".

I looked down as I aimed the rifle at the two little Manticores "I don't intend to keep them Red, just make sure they're safe" I whispered as I pulled the trigger and the rifle erupted in a flash of blue.

The two Manticores mewled and  
keeled over as the burst of electric energy incapacitated them and they fell to the ground Unconscious.

Their standard shape was that of a lion except for its wings jutting from its back and I had absolutely no idea what was going on with the tail.

"It's like no animal I've ever seen before" I murmured as I gazed at it in a new light. "That's because the Unicorn alliance (U.A) exterminated them all in 2590, and a smart move would be for us to do the same and move on" said Red quite annoyingly.

"Look Red I'm not leaving them here alone to die so, tell me where I can take them safely and then we'll be on our way" I said as I knelt down to pick up a cub. There was a long pause as Red processed the fact I wouldn't give up and finally, sighing she said "the legends of the name six say that kindness or Fluttershy was a keeper of woodland creatures, I don't know how she'd respond to two Manticores but then I'm sure we'll find out hey".

I grunted as I picked up the other Manticore and slung it over my shoulder "well let's go then, run a scan on the forest floor for their footprints and we'll find the trail back to Ponyville". "Already done, just follow my directions and we'll be at the town you love do much again in no time" Red sarcastically said.

I could only grunt as I carried the two little Manticores through the forest to a winding path, then from a winding path the a junction in which I was told the middle led to Ponyville and a lot of scared, angry and questioning ponies. Or the right path which should lead to Fluttershy's house. "How can you tell?" I asked taking the right path. "Well considering the tracks are three days old and are very light just like a Pegasus when walking" she explained.

I shook my head as I walked down the little path which stopped in the middle of a much more alluring forest with loads of wildlife and a small hut.

I put the Manticores down outside and considered leaving for a brief moment when I realised that Fluttershy would have a fit seeing baby Manticores at her door.

So I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Although she was a light hitter I could still feel the slight bruise on my chin. She opened the door quite welcomingly but upon seeing my face seemed to have a tiny nervous breakdown and spam the door in my face bashing me in the nose as well.

"That went well" commented Red as I stood up slowly. "Shut something" I grumbled as I knocked again. "Please go away" came a very soft voice from inside and as I peeked in the window the curtain seemed to shut instantaneously.

Now I've blown buildings apart, bust in doors and entered one unpleasant time through the sewage system but this was something new I could add to the list... I was trying to talk my way in. "Miss Fluttershy I realise my attitude towards ponies and your friends is a little difference than others and I'm sorry if I might have hurt or upset you in anyway, the fact is that the Manticore I killed was a mother to two cubs and they are very weak and need instant help". I know I can't do it but I heard that you like animals and have a way with them so I'm just wondering if you could...h". I tried to say the word but it seemed sticky and awkward in my mouth "can you h...h...help me" I asked.

The door stayed shut and my efforts had been wasted, I put my hooves on my head and I rubbed my eyes. "Red isn't there anyone else who'd take these Manticores" I asked somewhat pleadingly.

"No Captain, there is no one else" she responded. I sighed as I looked at the two little cubs, "I'll take them back into the woods and dispose of them, then we can be on our way".

Suddenly the door to the cottage flew open and Fluttershy rushed out, promptly giving me a smack whilst shouting "how dare you consider harming these little darlings you senseless brute, I'll take them but you'd better get out of here right now" she said quite forcibly considering I towered over her slight frame. "Yes ma'am" I yelled as I suppressed my relief and started walking away from the cottage. "You see Red it all turned out just fine" I said as I walked. "Yeah we'll I did as you asked me and there's a different path to Canterlot" she responded all business tone. "That is if you're willing to stop messing about and go save a princess". "Just tell me the damn route and I'll go" I grumbled my good mood now ruined by the prospect of the following journey. "Just head back to that junction and take the left road which should eventually lead to Canterlot and the mission" said Red.

"You mean to say Luna" I said. "No Captain I was correct in what I said, the mission".


	7. Finally Here

**Finally Here**

"Thank the makers we're finally here" Red said in Frustration. I could only sigh very loudly at her immaturity despite her barely being a year old in terms of when she was made. "Barely two weeks to go until the Princess Dies, we'd better get a move on" I said as I strayed off the main road which all the other ponies were taking and headed into the small forest.

"Right, I'll set up camp while you... do computer stuff" I said trying to sound as comical as I could. "Oh sorry was that a joke?" "Yes ha ha ha it was hilarious no really my laugh meter has gone off the charts". "You have a laugh meter?" I said in a puzzled voice. "Just shut up and keep walking" she responded annoyed now.

I made my way into the tree line of the forest warily, although I'd never really seen a forest before this time I was getting a little bit sick of nature. Red was talking about scanning the city from its centre so as to get a rough layout when I interrupted her, "why is it that they only sent back me" I found myself saying the words before I could stop myself.

Red stopped talking mid sentence and suddenly the vibrant forest turned very quiet. "Why do you wish to know" she asked me. "Well I've been thinking, the U.E.R doesn't waste time just messing around, if they wanted Luna to be protected they'd have sent a company of Strike Ponies back through time instead of one ordinary Captain with two defect marks on his flank" I said now suddenly realising that the more I thought about the less sense it seemed to make.

Red made a robotic sounding sigh before speaking up. "Go find a place to set up camp Captain and I'll tell you what you want to know".

So I found a nice spot just into the forest and set Red down, the little filly she had taken as an image seemed sad or guilty and turned purple every now and then. "Captain, I know that you haven't had a tough time what with being plucked from your time to this time and adjustments and such but I'm afraid that it is going to be difficult to accept the following information I'm about to impair to you".

I looked at her in incomprehension as she began her explanation. "As you know all factions fighting in the war began to get more technologically involved as time went on, however none were as good as the Earth Ponies who ruled the industrial line for many years". "So during 2673 they began experimenting with genetics and bio-weapons more and more about the same time as they started working on time travel".

"I'm not going to bore you with the details Captain but in the 28th century they found that a normal pony couldn't survive the time energy which needed to be flooded into a ponies body to travel so having made a breakthrough at the genetic labs the two very different branches of science began working together to create the perfect pony". "A pony with the strength of five, with an everlasting agility and stamina, perfect bone structure and cell regeneration system twice the normal standard". "Finally when they were nearly finished they something very rare into him, something even classified to my data banks". "By the time the first genetically improved Pony was ready it was 2712 and they needed him to begin training immediately so even though many believed that he should have been trained in a top secret raining facility they put him in with the regulars, Training Facility 1276 where a new field project was undergoing and he was to be part of it". "He quickly surpassed all other ponies in survival, intelligence and skill whilst all his original comrades fell". "However upon the P.P.R discovering nuclear fusion he was immediately taken from the front lines so he could complete years of planning and hope". "So you see Captain you are special, not just being the only pony to travel in time... but the only pony to have never been born simply made".

I stared with my mouth open as Red finished her monologue. I looked at my hooves and then my body. "I...I'm made, I never was... I'm like". "Yes Captain, you are like me, you were built to be perfection to be perfect like me, so you see now that we are the same".

I looked down at the ground as I fell to my knees my head in my hooves. "I'm not real I'm just a machine" I felt a watery substance beginning to trickle down my face. "Captain Asimov Foundation, you are not just a machine you are so much more, look at myself I am a machine engineered In a factory by scientists like you except with flesh you can feel whilst I simulate pre-programmed feeling for instance you are crying whilst all I can do is simulate sadness and turn blue..." she said this now turning blue.

I took my hooves off my head and looked at the bright sky, how I disliked myself, the U.E.R and the war which was going to happen unless I saved the Princess of the Night from her almost certain fate.

"You're right Red, I can't think of myself as a machine after saving the Manticores and helping Rainbow Dash". "That's the spirit now go and make camp" she yelled triumphantly turning a very green colour.

So I began to set up our forest camp, I dragged tree branches leaves and all the other kinds of camouflage and protection I could find before settling down in my newly made base of operations. "Red I put on a piece of wood so that she could see the surrounding camp and I sat outside talking to her about the next objective.

"We're going to go into Canterlot tomorrow and recon the area, but I have to leave my armour behind in order to stay as low profile as possible" I told her. "Sure a black, silver mane pony with two stamps on his cutie mark and enough scars to open a fracture in time and space" she said rather bluntly. I don't think it was intended as malice towards me but the comments on my scars and cutie mark really hit home. I brushed them off however continuing the conversation. "The centre of town is where I'll take you and you can scan the city and we'll be out, then I'll climb that mountain over there the day afterwards to get a bird's eye view before finally we construct an image of the entire city". "What about the castle where Luna will be spending the majority of her time?" asked Red. "Yes, we'll have to be stealthier when it comes to that, but if I can acquire a guard's uniform I can recon the castle by day and follow her by night".

"Are you forgetting about sleep Captain" she asked me. "Who needs sleep" I said as I nestled down to relax but found myself instantly snoring.

**Phew, okay then that was fast. No but I'm sorry if I'm not explaining it in the full degree which is why this chapter is sort of a bridge...Yeah so Yeah... "Like a bridge over troubled water I will..." sorry sorry but I just really love that song. XD **


	8. In and Out

**In and Out**

"Okay then, really quite simple we just walk in through the crowds, do a light scan and walk out again ok Captain" "Captain..." I snapped out of my relapse and stared at the crowd of ponies flooding into the city. I had never seen so many ponies of different race mixing together that we're alive since I participated in the Everfree city massacre where all three factions ran out of ammunition (crystals) and charged each other with naught but knives.

"Captain!" shouted Red jolting me out of yet another relapse. "Are you sure you're up to this or do you want to climb the mountain first"? "To be honest the mountain seemed like a really good prospect at the moment but I restrained myself from this and said "its ok, this is simply strange to me, and the biggest conversation I'd had with any Non-Earth Pony had always "been dying".

"We don't need another spectacle Captain so just get in put me down and get out" explained Red. "Easier said than done...fine I'll do this but only because of the mission" and with that I plunged into the thick stream of ponies in weird clothes. Even though I had been talked out of my armour I'd decided to enter with my weapon belt for minimal protection.

I felt the stares of many upper class ponies as I went further through the stream of diversity. I wasn't so much ashamed of the way I just wished I could have acquired a way to hide the mark so as not to attract any suspicion. However as I went on the stream became a torrent and many ponies began jostling into me. I had to surprise the urge to kill them as I ate my paranoia.

I stopped off by a gate to the castle and took stock of my surroundings. I saw a sign that said the main square was barley one hundred metres away, it may as well have been one hundred miles away for it seemed like an impenetrable barrier of mainly unicorns and peagasi. "Where are the Earth ponies" I asked frowning. Then I saw them all at once waiters, servants, messengers and guards. All of these ponies were magic less.

Maybe it was the rage I felt from how there was social difference in this time but in general I think it was the fact that no one did anything about it that really got me. I quite literally charged through the crowd, knocking down rich bankers and lords as I went. "I couldn't believe it, but it made sense that the people most disadvantaged in the land would be tread on. However they all did it so kindly, whether a Unicorn shouting at his messenger or a Pegasus yelling at a waiter the Earth Ponies just took it with a smile and an apology.

An awful lot of ponies were staring at me now but I stared them all down so that they looked away. I reached a statue of Princess Celestia and Luna in a circle as of chasing each other. I turned my gaze away however as I put red down right next to the statue. "Ok Red start you scan and I'll try look... Normal of sorts" I whispered as red started to scan the entire city to create somewhat of a 3D map.

I on the other and had nothing to do but get stared at by the passing ponies, I was thinking really deeply however, my primary thought being "why are Earth Ponies so disadvantaged whatever they do"? Before I oils elaborate further on this thought however Red did something unexpected. "ALERT! Time particles detected within vicinity please move to a safe range to minimalise chances of incineration" she blared out.

Even though I didn't get most of what she said it pushed me into action "Everybody move away from the statue now!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I grabbed red and strapped her to my belt whilst I ran back. Other ponies were now snorting in rage and one Unicorn came up to me and said "do you mind"? "Sir I need everyone to..." I was cut off however as a wave of chrome energy flooded the courtyard and everyone but I fell over.

A portal or something opened up on the Celestia Luna statue, vaporising it and then to top it off a ball of red energy flooded out of it with two silhouettes inside.

"That energy resembles the same source we bombarded your body with" shouted Red over the din of noise. The energy suddenly shock waved and the portal closed, sending everyone flying back through the air. As I got up it seemed everyone around me was dead or at the very least out cold.

Suddenly I could hear crying from inside the capsule as the red energy faded to reveal two unicorns, badly burned everywhere and both once a vibrant yellow were now tinged with bloody red as I noticed the first mutations. The first was missing a hoof and ear whilst the second had one too many and by the looks of it the new limbs were giving him much pain. The Pony with too many limbs stood side by side with the other pony completely still for a moment, as if time hadn't caught up to them yet when suddenly the pony with the extra limbs vomited a huge amount of blood before collapsing and the other one began wailing in pain.

"We told them that it couldn't handle two, we told them and they ignored" he cried as his chopped off limbs began to bleed profusely.

I ran over to the group and looked at the mix of limbs now quite gruesome from my perspective. They were obviously brothers but since the second one had stopped moving and the first one was wailing in agony nobody really cared about that little loose fact.

I took a small capsule from my belt and shoved the contents down the pony's throat. After a brief few seconds the wailing stopped and the pony calmed as if all the pain was gone. "Captain he's got maybe three minutes before bleeding out you need to do something now" said Red.

I closed my eyes for a second and took a breath, before kneeling down and asking softly "what is your name"? The calmed pony looked at me and raised one of his bleeding limbs, "Mal Crystone Lead Scientist on Tulip Station Research Facility 276 for the U. A" he said now eerily calmly. "What happened Mal" I asked, trying to sound as caring as I could. "What didn't happen should be the question Asimov" said the broken pony. I blinked for a second before leaning closer to him. "What"? "You don't know yet, but you will the great and powerful Asimov the destroyer of worlds" laughed Mal somewhat insanely. "What are you talking about Mal" I asked grabbing his head now and shaking it. "We didn't think it through did we, I mean we should never have sent it back in time, so we came to retrieve it but it went wrong, our particles... Fused and now I'm dying Captain" said Mal as if realising it for the first time.

"Captain there isn't much time you must not save Luna, you must not go right and whatever you don't make the deal" shouted Mal as pain started to seep through the calming drugs I'd given him. "Now for myself, Captain I... don don't w...wish to die in pain so please just finish me off as an act of kindness to the one who wants you dead" he finished televising as pain flooded his body.

I looked at the two brothers on the floor and felt wave after wave of pity for them and a feeling of mercy. However these... Ponies came back to by the sounds of it stop me from saving Luna and possibly killing me as well.

I tried to put all the jumbled words together but I had absolutely nothing and Red's voice suddenly came up. "Captain Guards are on their way you have to move now"!

I took out my pistol and looked at it, and then I looked at an alleyway nearby. I knew exactly what to do.

Yes that's right we'll ask the lovely audience (Cheers)  
Now its 50-50 so is it:  
A. Mercy  
B. Suffering  
Let's see what you decide (gives a cheery smile as typing this and realises his life is completely pointless...) ;-(


	9. A New Outfit

**A New Outfit **

I flicked my wrist up and shot the mutilated pony in the head, he died instantly and stopped thrashing around. "Great work Captain now every guard will be alerted to our presence" said Red accompanied by the sound of slow clapping.

"Never mind that what's this" I said moving towards the dead scientist unicorn. His only fore hoof had a small damaged black box in it and I could only just grab it before guards began to stream in through the exits from the square until I was surrounded by them in a tight circle.

They all seemed a bit nervous and some looked even scared, however the majority maintained whit flanks with blue manes as if they had need dyed that colour. "You are to surrender yourself to the Royal Guard immediately and step away from your victims" said a taller one than most with a shining armour for a cutie mark". I looked at the kid for he looked barley old enough to be an officer. "You are"? "The Captain of the Royal guard and you have ten seconds to surrender or come up with an explanation for the ponies you've murdered and knocked out..." said the kid Captain now looking at me curiously "actually how did an earth pony do all this"?

Once again with the underestimating of the Earth Ponies even though I didn't do a thing "Captain I'm sure we can all walk away from this peacefully... I am also a Captain in a military and I just want to ask how you think I did this"? We stared each other for a brief moment before the Kid answered "You were seen running through the crowds and then somehow you produced a form of chaos energy and did this, I'm tiring of your attempts of stalling so please just come quietly" he said.

All the other ponies I'd noticed we're beginning to stir and I saw an opportunity to slip away through the jumbled mess and to my freedom. So before anypony could see me I leapt into the crowds of Canterlot which were now gawking at the scene in the centre and responded in a perfectly ordinary way when they saw the proposed murderer leap into the crowds. "We're all going to perish" shouted a pony from the crowd which started off a screaming panic.

As strange as it does seem, normal social crowds are a big no for me whilst panicking distressed aristocrats are no problem for me at all.

I ran as one with the crowds as the guards attempted to stabilise the quickly veering out of control way in which things were being driven by me the driver.

"Captain Take the left alley up here and turn right, this should lead small warehouse containing guard attire and blankets" said Red as loudly as her speaker enabled her.

I veered off into the alleyway, leaving the stampede to run its course whilst I broke down the back door of the warehouse and slipped inside.

I sat down on a nearby crate panting a bit. "Geez I never knew rich people could run so fast" I said as I tried to get my breathing under control. "When it comes to them they'll do anything" said Red. "I still don't believe Earth Ponies are still getting spat on even in a world of kindness and fair rule" I said emphasising the word fair. "That is not the main problem here Captain the mission is priority and you cannot let the future happen or else Earth Ponies will be a lot worse than neglected" pointed out Red. "Your right, this land is making me sloppy and lazy from now on I must stick to the mission parameters" I said with inspiration in my voice. "I'd suggest looking for some gear then, suiting up so to speak" suggested Red to me.

I groaned as I got up realising my belt felt heavier. "Red I picked up something from the ponies hand look" I said as I showed her the black, charred box. "Ah yes the puzzle playing upon my Processor, how did the U.A discover time travel, how did they know you and warn you about stuff which made no sense and then in the end wish you dead" she asked in a rather melodically filly sort of voice. "Well when you put it like that it makes even less sense but maybe this box can give a clue"? Red was silent for a moment before murmuring "this is AI Technology".

I stepped back in surprise as I stared at the average little damaged black box "how did you"? "I ran a scan on it and identified the key components to any AI; this is a basic U.A Rule 200 AI system". "Only a 200?" I said actually quite surprised. "What operating system does it run on?" I asked. "Well by the looks of it Vista" said Red.

I screwed my nose at the piece of crap which was now the only clue for me to unlock the crap Behind the meddling. "Captain I don't wish to pressure you but I'm pretty sure you should be getting a move on unless you want to get arrested and alert Luna of her impending doom". "It's not impending if I stop it" I said quietly as I kicked open a crate. Out spewed a bunch of feathers which didn't really help so I kicked another one down and out came lots of bottles. "You sure these crates have Guard Armour in them" I asked as I continued to kick open crates.

Suddenly I kicked one crate a little too hard and out spewed tons of armour which promptly fell on me. "It's ok I found it" I tried to sound triumphant as I pulled myself from the mess.

I picked up a set of the golden armour and critically assessed it "total opposite of camouflage colours, heavy and clumsy and by the looks of it made of one of the weakest metals known to pony... steel". "Don't forget Captain, this world has no need for armour as there is no war and besides we're 700 years in the past what would you expect?" pointed out Red.

I sighed as I began pulling the chest plate over my body and putting my hooves in the gauntlets. Finally I put the helmet on my head and couldn't help but think I was wearing a large brush as I hid my belt beneath the chest plate.

"Right we have the armour so now I think we should get out of here, that mountain is sounding stunningly nice right now" I said as I adjusted my helmet.

"Captain you forget you still have something to do" said Red. "Specify" I asked. "Your mane and flank look too recognisable and most guards are white and blue manes so I would suggest going to some dye facility and obtaining some chemicals to get the job done" she said.

I sighed as I tried to think of something better to do "fine let's just hurry I hate socialisation of any description". So I left via the back door once more and back down the alleyway until I came to one of the main roads which were not as full as they were half an hour ago. "You're my only map Red so identify a chemical plant or something where I can obtain due". "No factories on data Captain however there is a sub-title for dye just two blocks ahead to the right I would suggest checking I there".

So I began walking as royally as I could muster which at one point seemed to turn into a ceremonial march which got a few ponies attentions. Thankfully most of the guards were either protecting the Princess or dealing with the dead unicorns. I stopped outside some sort of shop which had loads of pictures of hair on it. I spotted the words "we dye" on the window and immediately went into the shop.

It smelled just like Nitro Glycerine and there were bottles all over the shop "A rather thin and white pony with a blond mane stood behind a counter and asked "may I help  
you"? I froze at the question and attempted in my most normal voice to communicate "I seek immediate dye chemicals of the colours white and blue" I said in the funniest voice in Equestria. She looked at me funny before reaching under the counter and producing two bottles. "If that's all then that'll be twenty-five bits please" she asked.

I kind of tried to process what she'd said but my brain was kind of stuck I mean what's a bit is it ration coupons or signed documents stating your requirements. "Money" Red whispered from my pack.

"I um... have I need loads of rainbow dye" I said as I thought of the first thing which popped into my head. "Right then... I'll just go get that from the back room" she said as she twirled round and disappeared behind an archway. I saw this as another moment of golden opportunity (which occurred in large proportions in this time) and swiped the bottles from the counter before booting out the door and down the street as fast as my hooves could carry me. "Captain I think we are an adequate range away to safely walk without being spotted!" said Red.

I realised it must be a bit odd seeing a guard gallop down the street even though there were only a trickle of ponies now. "This land is completing defenceless, I could conquer it with about thirty well trained U.E.R soldiers!" I lectured to Red.

"Not the point Captain you could have already unconsciously saved Luna, if their security increases after today then maybe the guards can stop the attack" said Red. "What are the odds of that" I asked. "About two million four thousand and twenty three to about five" she answered. "That's what I thought" I said as I passed through the gates undetected.

**Okay so I might have taken slightly longer this time but I did get it done. Mercy won so hooray and stuff... I guess well these choices will only get more difficult as they go along, I won't be posting Monday because I'm away however Tuesday there might be something we've all been waiting for yes it's... (Holds breath).**


	10. Talk

**Talk**

"Well I don't know about you red but I can see practically everything from here" I said as I clung for dear life to the mountain peak. "Well Captain just hold me up and I can take a full 3D picture" said Red. I rummaged inside my bag with one hoof while I wondered something "Red you're a little black box I have never seen a camera on you so how can you determine things" I asked. "Well Captain my other sensors help me but my entire chassis is covered in tiny microscopic cameras so I can see easily about twenty times better than you can". "Quit talking and take the damn picture" I said. "I took the picture about seven thousand times about three seconds ago now how are you going to get down"? "Red you forget that my backpack has a built in glider".

"Yes but considering the force in which you'd plummet towards the ground and the thrust of the Captaaaain". I cut her off as I leaped off the mountain and immediately went into a dive. "Captain Asimov you are breaking regulation 2467, 2900, 21..." "Quit your yapping and enjoy the freedom of free fall" I yelled as I plummeted towards the ground. "Captain I don't see this as any fun what if your glider cannot take the strain"? "Well we die, simple" I said as the forest came up really close now. "Asimov we passed a thousand feet"! She didn't have to say anymore as I activated my jet pack and slowly began to slow my descent. The little engines strained and began to splutter as they pushed against my momentum but eventually they slowed me down until I was naught but a metre from the ground. I dropped down and immediately collapsed exhausted.

"That was absolutely awesome" I said as I say up. "Awesome, you've never used that word before Captain so why use it now?" Red asked. "Well its how these ponies speak so I don't see the problem in adopting some local tongue". I began to walk back to my camp which was really just a place to put my gear when I was going somewhere. I stopped by a nearby stream and took a long drink, throwing some water onto my face as well. I looked at the face that I barley recognised as mine. It was now white with a short navy blur mane (that of a guard) it looked so alien to the brown face I'd known for so many years. "Yet at the same time not really known" I said to myself. "What?" asked Red. "N...nothing let's keep moving" I said as I shook off sad memories.

I walked back to the camp in silence and upon arriving put Red on her pedestal (tree stump) then went to check on my gear. "Have you made any progress on our little friend" I asked as I checked my pulse rifle. "Yes and no Captain, I have scanned the entire infrastructure and have hacked the main AI system to work for any user but the time stream has meddled with the files and now they are fragmented all over the place so I need to sort them out but there are more pressing things at hand" Red said now with a tone of seriousness in her voice. "Yes and that is" I asked coming over to her. "My power supply is under ten percent and unless we find some way of charging or replacing it then I won't be around to help you anymore". I actually think my mouth dropped open as I looked as the holographic image of Red. "You're kidding, the U.E.R can make a gun that will shoot for infinite but they cannot make a computer that'll last a week"! "Captain you must understand they believed that my uses would be minimal, background information and some scanning not constant use and long distance scans I'm amazed I'm still online"! "Well how do we get you more power?" I asked.

"Well it's fairly simple really I can run on any form of crystal that is up to 5X5 long but for a longer use than that I would suggest finding a Royal Blue crystal". "Hey Red crystals aren't easy to find I mean in outlet time we were barely able to scrape enough together for ammunition". "It is actually a lot easier to get your hands on crystals in this time Captain and I have already simulated a plan that will kill two birds in one stone" she said. "You see the upper class of ponies keep these jewels as signs of fashion and wear them on dresses their necks and their heads but the castle must have many royal gems that are great in value so, we go into the castle so I can scan the layout and you look for a gem that is really shiny and blue" she explained. "Red you know that I need you but I am not ready for any social interactions so soon I mean I barley spent ten minutes in Canterlot before I blew something up"! "Correction Captain those unicorns blew something up". "Well anyway I'm not going" I said as strode over to a tree with loads of cross marks".

"Captain May I remind you that you need me and that there is less than a week and a half until Luna dies, so doing this now will make it easier for step four of the plan".

I sighed and looked at her "you're right, but I don't like it". I got changed into my guard's uniform and left the small encampment with Red strapped to my belt. "Okay so to get to the castle you just go straight through the main gate and follow the main road that will wind up to the castle, take it coolly and just act natural" said Red as Canterlot came into view.

I followed Red's plan and continued in down the mane road, thankfully all the other citizens gave me a wide space either due to my guard status or my concentrated expression. I passed a quiet walk up to the castle but upon arriving I noticed that there were two guards with swords and nobody was going in.

"Hopefully it's because they don't get too many visitors" I murmured. Unfortunately I was wrong as when I walked up to the door I was denied entrance as the two ponies took a step back putting their hands on their swords and stating "who are you"? Normally I was accustomed to answering with my rank and serial number but since things were more relaxed it was easier "I'm the err... new guy" I said trying my best to sound like those guards. They seemed to accept this and opened the double doors too which I hurried inside all too quickly.

"Geez I thought that was going to be difficult" I said as I walked along the halls passing stone pillars and lush decorations as I went. "So are you scanning the rooms Red" I whispered, even though there were no ponies around.  
"Yes Asimov but my power source is waning, I'm down to less than five percent power now". "Just try to hang on I'm looking for a room that looks fancy". "Captain they all look fancy" said Red. "Well I'll just try this one" I said as I opened the door closest to me.

As I did it seemed that time stood still as I stared up the corridor at a rather large pony with wings and a horn and a flowing dull rainbow mane that seemed to float a waver in the air. The princess was sitting atop a throne of gold with two guards standing in front of her, I was about to close the door but before I could I heard a large booming voice that resembled by old drill instructors back in my time. "Hold there guard" said this voice as another pony came up behind me and slid through the open doorway. If Celestia had caused me to gasp then this new pony near on gave me a heart attack. Princess Luna was dark as night blue with wavy hair of the same colour and a black cutie mark was on her flank, however what really struck me were her eyes, they were a beautiful cyan and in the few milliseconds that I looked at them I saw she was not like the ponies from this time. However she passed me without the slightest notice and strode over to her sister in very jerky movements.

I closed the door and stepped in taking point in front of the doors and trying to look important whilst I gazed with my dull eyes at the only Alicorns in existence.

"Sister thou hast to cease this this instant" she seemed to yell in that really loud voice as if ordering her. "What do you mean dear sister" asked Celestia in a much lower but still firm voice which gave her a very commanding presence. "Thou hast denied us access to our city and now you deny me access to our own castle"! "First of all Luna you can stop using the Canterlot voice on me and secondly this is for your own protection, the recent activities in the square have had us all on edge and with you barley returned I do not wish to put you in more danger so limiting places which might be hazardous will improve chances of safety"! "Locking me up will make me safe" said Luna in a much lower voice but still plenty angry. "Think Luna there hasn't been a murder in Equestria in a thousand years then you turn up and we find two dead unicorns and a whole square of unconscious ponies around, this is connected to you and I just don't want you going out and getting killed ok" said Celestia in a very sisterly tone. Luna looked crushed as she said the next words "I see where this is going, you don't want me going out into town as ponies may fear me and somepony like all of Equestria might try to kill me". "Luna that's not what I..." but Celestia couldn't finish as Luna had already began to walk away, before I could open the doors she barged them open as tears streamed down her face. I kept my emotionless expression as Celestia looked at me and then began talking to her other guards.

I took this as an excellent time to slip out quietly without being noticed. "Well Asimov" said Red as I began to walk away "you sure know how to pick the right doors". "Shush Red, this information could prove valuable, if Luna stays in only certain parts of the castle then this makes out lives a lot easier". "Captain I don't wish to alarm you but certain systems all over my system are shutting down, I think that you should hurry up and find a crystal of some sort.

So I put Luna out of my mind even though it was hard for me to do and began searching in lots of rooms. Even though I found libraries, living rooms, guest rooms and all sorts which helped me paint a mental picture of the castle I didn't find any jewel rooms. "Power supply failing" gasped Red as if she was dying (which in a way I guess she was). "Don't worry Red this room will have it for sure" and when I opened the door it was truly the luckiest jackpot in the world. Gold, Silver and seemed to fill the room from top to bottom bit I didn't stop to admire the room as I searched until finding a nicely sized Royal Blue crystal.

"Red I got it now where do I put it" I said as I held Red's box up into the light. The little holographic filly came up and waved all over the place, however a little hatch seemed to pop open and a very clear crystal popped out and before I could catch it fell to the floor with a smash. I looked at the small slot and inserted the crystal just as Red's image began to fade. Suddenly the image shone bright and suddenly in perfect synchronisation Red announced "Red Terminal Project Restart AI 300 activated, Power Levels at 7000 percent".

I looked at the image of Red and asked "Red are you ok"? "Never better Captain I feel Alice, literally every fibre in my circuitry I'd burning, this crystal certainly isn't a total blue but it's teaming with enough power to last me years, literally you want a scan of the castle done" she said rather fast and positively.

"Ok then let's get out of here then, this uniform makes me itch".

But it seemed that coincidence wasn't finished with me as I stepped out of that Jewel room who do I run into, Princess Luna. She stopped startled as did I with a wide eyed expression "oh go on and run away, all the other guess do it so you may as well leave as well" she said in a sad tone. I briefly considered leaving but deemed that if I was to be keeping a close eye on Luna for the following two weeks then I might as well start off on a good foot. "No ma'am I was simply surprised that's all" I said adding the guard voice into my regular one. She looked at me and seeming to compose herself spoke with the Canterlot voice "thou is not like the other ponies of Canterlot" she said. "Too true your majesty" I said before I could stop myself. I cursed inside my head but she seemed to take no notice now putting a hoof on my shoulder for support as she sagged against me. "Are you ok your majesty"? "Nay my fine guard my sister is I have returned after a thousand year relapse to discover that every pony hates me with a passion or fears me worse than the chaos days of Discord, I just wish things could have been different" she said as a tear streaked down her face. I felt something inside me, empathy maybe something I could relate to Luna I mean we were both centuries out of our original time and were troubled to abusing to life. "Your sister loves you your majesty, although it is troublesome just give it two weeks and everything should be ok" I said now with my guards voice dropped.

She looked at me with those stunning eyes and asked "I suppose you may be right, but I will hold you to your promise guard, what is your name"? I wondered if I should tell her a fake name but decided against it "Asimov, Asimov Foundation your highness". "Well dear Asimov I hope I will see you around sometime" she said as she strode away from me and left me alone in the corridor.

"Captain are you I'm" asked Red after a few moments. "Err yes why" I asked as I snapped out of the daydreaming I was in. "It's just your heart rate has accelerated to above average and you are sweating profusely" she said.

"Oh just amazement from meeting our mission orders for the first real time". "She was something and a half" said Red.

"Yeah, she was something" I said as I began to walk back to the exit.

**I did it before I leave forever... Or for a couple of days, hope you guys like it, spelling once again might be crap but hey I do this in free time. By the way may I just say next chapters gonna have plenty of action...!XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD DX DX DX DX DX DX**


	11. Tension

**Tension**

"0111010101010100111001101111 011101001010110101...". "Red please I beg you shut up!" I said now shouting at her from my position atop a tree on the edge of Canterlot. "Binary helps to pass the time they say" she said. "Maybe in the land of Memory and RAM but in the real world it sounds really annoying". "You do know that RAM and...". "Shhh look at that" I said now pointing to a messy, ruffled looking pony with a leather satchel on his back. "He could be concealing the weapon in his pack there and by the looks of it he's mad enough". "Captain, I know that you're high strung with it being a day until Luna's murder but you really need some rest or you'll never be able to function properly" explained Red. I'd been forced to leave the castle many times so as not to blow my cover as a guard but it had been really taxing for my mind to just relax when the assassin could be at Luna's door any moment tomorrow and I thought that if I could spot him then it would be easier to stop him when tomorrow came.

"Captain you are perfectly well trained, tomorrow will be easy you just watch Luna like a hawk and when somepony jumps out with a crossbow you do your stuff" assured Red. "Somehow I doubt it will be that ray Red" I said as I went back to my overseeing. "Asimov, the best thing you can do for the Princess now is rest so that you can save her life tomorrow".

I sighed from my seated position atop the tree before back flipping down. "This is not fair" I whispered. "Excuse me" asked Red. "I'm a soldier Red, maybe a genetically advanced one but I was taught to basically kill and defend, this job is probably a lot more easier for me after all I know when, where, who and how and yet this makes my job all the more harder". "Captain, you will follow your orders to the letter" said Red with some force behind her voice. I looked at her little filly holo-image and sighed deeply. "What next" I asked quietly. "What do you mean" asked Red. "I mean after Luna is saved, what happens then, we never thought that far, just save Luna and then what more orders when the U.E.R won't even exist anymore"! "Red we will be the only legacy of this unless somehow they planted a time bunker in space or something!" I said looking at Red just to make sure that they hadn't. "What about the two U.A ponies Asimov they must have meant something" said Red. "Oh but what, you haven't unlocked the AI information and the furthest we've got was playing minesweeper"!

Red's holographic image seemed to be going in and out of various colours as she tried to process which emotion she should be feeling. "Captain, the mission is priority, save Luna and then maybe we can think about decommission...". I looked at her as my mind processed what she had just said "Maybe it'll be for the best but I can't picture myself jumping off a cliff" I said partly reassuring myself.

Red was still having an emotional malfunction as I picked her up and began heading back to the camp, gloomy thoughts followed me all the way and as I set down my gear I decided something "technically mission orders were to protect Luna at all costs, was that a specific thing or indefinitely"? Red seemed to come out if her emotional crash and answered "I contain no information stating just the one moment so yes I'd agree on indefinitely as a possibility". "Well then the plan shall remain the same, protect Princess Luna until we die or she does". "Which will be highly unlikely considering she is immortal and you are protecting her" said Red. "Yeah that's right" I whispered as I got into my shelter which was really a lot of long leaves spread over a large stick held up by a tree. As I nestled down to sleep I could only dream of Princess Luna and the crossbow bolt furring into her back, this was the normal calibre of nightmares that most soldiers from my time had but never had this one made me feel so helpless as I watched constantly as she was killed by the crossbow bolt in slow motion. Every time it was a repeat the bolt would slowly fire and spin furiously forward until it sliced dead centre between her wings, the sharp steel would carry on t however until it plunged into her heart and killed her instantly. Then Luna would slowly fall her legs giving in as she lifelessly collapsed and I could only stare in horror at my dream as it faded out and restarted again each time bringing a sense of failure and guilt to my heart as she died over and over again.

I woke up startled as a high pitch squeal roused me and forced me to cover my ears in pain, it stopped just as quickly as it had started however and I quickly grabbed my rifle and looked around the clearing. "Red" I whispered quickly as I switched the end torch for my rifle on and frantically looked at the forest. "Red Activate" I said more loudly and she came online "What is wrong Captain"? "There was a loud high pitched squeal not of this time I need you to scan the area" I said as I began checking behind trees and other obvious places. "Scan complete, no life or tech besides us in the current vicinity" she said in a very emotionless voice. "But I heard something, I was having a dream and it woke me up and then... Do you know what happened"?

Red's voice kept its emotionless tone and said "no". I looked at her quizzically and asked "what just no, no questions, solutions or possibilities to as you usually do"? "Captain I don't know I was simply stating a fact I'm sorry for speaking" she said finally adopting a hurtful tone".

I sighed and sat down, I knew Red was right that there was no tech or movement or else my motion sensors would have gone off.

I sighed as I nestled back down before realising it was night nearly anyway and I'd have to get up to start what had been building up, to save Luna and hopefully the future... Hopefully.

I dressed into my guard uniform now beginning to get familiar with it and my holster and belt underneath the chest plate. I did some warm up routines before I sighed and looked down at the trail which led to the road which led to Canterlot which led to Luna.

"Red remind me never to travel through time again". "Noted" she replied as we set off for the missions end.

Ok a little short but then again this is just the build up to the next CHAPTER! It's here...well not here it's in production yeah so it will be here and... Stuff... Yeah...

CAKE!


	12. Time Rider

**Time Rider**

"Canterlot is quiet" I whispered as I quickly walked up the track to the castle. "Even so I'll run continuous scans for the duration of the night and try and detect drops in temperatures to pinpoint any places a pony has recently been".

So I headed up to the castle and upon reaching the entrance found nobody there guarding it. "This is bad" I said before running inside. There was usually an old pony that waited on ponies coming to and fro but he was also missing. "Damn it we need to find somepony" I said as u galloped down the corridors and turning a corner that I'd remembered from the maps I burst into Luna's room, wide eyes and looking for trouble anywhere.

Then I saw her, Luna was lying face down on the floor and not moving. I ran over to her but already my entire frame shook with hopelessness. "You said it was today but never this early?" I cried as I sank to my knees. "Err Captain...". You said this mission would be easy I began sobbing like a newborn foal as I cradled her head and cried the past month and the upcoming war to the moon and the stars.

"Asimov besides you there are two people in this room!" shouted Red quite loudly. I froze and looked down at Luna, realising her breathing was slow but steady. I looked up a second too late before something hit me in the back of the head and everything went black.

I had been knocked out plenty of times before but this time was way more different, as I felt tendrils of darkness wrap around me and tighten as I fell into what could only be described as nothing. I looked at stone walls that began to smudge into view along with burning torches and a low figure bent over me as if examining me at a market. "This will never work if you aren't close to death; still at least you have established connection, now I believe you are saving someone"? I sat up immediately and looked around frantically in panic. I was alive but Luna and the assailant had gone along with Red and my belt.

"Damn it" I murmured as I made to stand up failing to notice that my hooves had been tied and I immediately fell over. I looked down at the basic knots and immidielty began to untie myself. Once I was free I assessed the situation. All weapons gone, Red gone, Luna gone and one hell of a huge headache, the only thing that would make this worse right now was if a bear came through the door.

I actually stared at the door for an entire minute as if a bear would actually come through the door. The door opened quite suddenly and I jumped back in shock, however it was just a young guard who came in looking quite frightened but upon seeing me seemed to adopt a very inquisitive look. "Where's the Princess" he asked coming over to me also taking note I'm sure that my weapons were gone and a large amount of blood was running down the left side of my head. "Listen umm... what's your name?" I asked. "Umm it's Chad" he said. "Well Chad I'm really sorry about this" I said picking up a nearby stool when his back was turned. "Sorry for wha..." I cut him off about then by smashing the stool into his face.

Picking up his sword I ran out of the door and into that gigantic hallway looking back and forward between. "Okay" I said to myself "think what would you do with some guns a hi-tech computer and a Princess"? I looked up and down the corridor and saw something I didn't expect to see. At the very end of the big hallway was the gigantic double doors which led to the gardens that were never open this time of night. This was something that I knew from the week of constant guard duty I put in here and it was the best lead I had so I ran. I ran right through the gates and onto the lawn, from there was another door open this time with some on duty guards standing too attention and looking as usual very dull.

"Did anyone come through here?" I asked them. They both looked me up and down before shaking their heads. I thought about bringing them along but in the end I doubt they could do anything but screw up my already fucked up rescue.

I ran past them and up the winding stairs of the observation tower where the Princesses like to view the day and the night usually heavily guarded which was strange considering that if I were to assassinate someone it would be done quietly. Come to think of it I thought about how they knocked me out instead of killing me same with Luna, discovering and taking my weapons belt when no one from this time should even know what it was. Finally what really scared me was how quickly and silently they took me out.

All in all as I came charging up the stairs to the balcony with four guards standing tall and one amazingly standing Princess walking to the edge I realised that the ponies behind this were not of this time. I looked at the Princess and at the guards who looked perfectly ordinary and strode out onto the balcony. I looked at the Princess and saw her movements were jerky almost as if she was a puppet and someone was holding the strings. I remembered what Red had said; somepony had shot her with a crossbow and made their escape.

I was pretty sure that the guards had no concealed crossbows and as far as I could so that meant the only other place that an assassin could shoot from this high up with a crossbow was the roof. I swung round and caught a black clad Pegasus staring down the barrel of one of the toughest looking crossbows I'd ever seen.

He also seemed to notice me because he let rip with the crossbow straight after and by the angle of the crossbow I knew it was targeted at Luna before he even pulled back the trigger. I acted fast, drawing the sword I'd taken I swung it upwards until it cleaved the crossbow in two sending the two halves of the bolt off in separate trajectories. One of these spiralled downwards rights into my flank which was like one big splinter and hurt unsurprisingly more than plasma shot which cauterised the wound after it hit you. This wound however bled freely and from what I could examine in the slit second I had while turning around to Luna then I would have a new scar by the end of this if I survived that was.

Anyway the second half of the crossbow bolt spiralled upwards above Princess Luna thankfully but it impacted on something because I heard a sudden thud and a high pitched scream as something I didn't expect came into view. A black female Pegasus who was holding little transparent strings crashed as the large piece of wood shut down her suit which by the looks of it could make her invisible. "Kill him" she cried and I spun round to see the shooter also a Pegasus leap onto me from the roof with, oh my gun it seemed. I he landed on me and immediately fired off a couple of rounds which hit the wall with dull thuds, the other guards finally reacted and came over to help but at that moment I got the shooter on his back and he began firing wild shots everywhere which hit the first three guards in the head and the fourth guards in the back legs.

The fourth guard tumbled to the floor with a whiny and knocked into the both of us sending me and the shooter sprawling across the floor. I opened my eyes and saw his crossbow lying in front of me and looked back as he began to sit up, I made a split second decision and yanked the half bolt from my flank and put it in the crossbow. I stood up to draw it but stopped at the sight of my gun barrel staring at me in a not so comforting way.

The Pegasus laughed a little and I could see a little insignia on his shoulder the insignia of the P.P.R, that was all I could think about however as I heard the gun click and... Nothing happened. He must have drained the crystal which would have made me laugh had it not been for the fact that he was still a dangerous son of a bitch who tried to kill Luna.

I pulled with all my might and pulled the string tight on the crossbow just as he charged at me; I spun round and fired aiming for the head and hoping to Celestia I didn't miss. The bolt reduced in size was still deadly and it basically smashed through his head and carried on until it lost momentum and fell from the balcony. The shooters head went everywhere, over me, over Luna and the other assassin and in general the balcony area.

I looked at the other assassin who was staring wide eyed in shock at her partner's messy ending. Suddenly she held Luna out over the balcony and I saw she also had my backpack there as well. "Not another step closer or I drop the bitch" she said, fear most evident in her voice. I looked at her and then at the unconscious Luna and believed it best if I held my ground for the time. Besides this looked like a good opportunity to get some answers. "So why would the P.P.R be all the way back here in the first place?" I asked.

The assassin looked at me and I looked at her, she seemed to smile now as she looked at me "you must be the average calibre of soldier cause your IQ seems to be shit, the P.P.R were winning the war back home and when our rat ratted that the time machine project was happening we couldn't let the U.E.R reshape the world, so we raided there base and what did we find, your transport had just shipped out, oh yes Captain Asimov we know it all, then using the technology we got sent back as well to make sure Luna dies and the civil war continues". "But how did you get sent back? I was modified genetically so I could survive the Time radiation" I said.

She looked at me now with a very evil expression "oh we had no time to breed clones so we sent back every type of pony we could find but most of them didn't turn up in there correct time , melded with each other or became salmon" she said grinning. "So you want a war that will destroy Equestria just so the Pegasus can rule a wasteland" I said in disgust. Then I thought of something else "why leave me alive"?

"I'm done talking with you, this is over you are going to get down on your knees or little miss moon here get's thrown" she said now holding Luna further away from her. I looked at her and at Luna and made once again a split second decision, "I'll just catch her" I said. "What" asked the assassin but I was already running at full place until I knocked into her pushing all three of us over the balcony. I heard the assassin cry out as I span through the air, I saw my backpack and I aimed myself at it until I caught it already the ground was worryingly close but I strapped myself in and veered to the left until I caught Luna who was rag dolling through the air still unconscious with whatever drug those P.P.R assassins had given her.

I collided with her and immediately activated my gliding jets, the engines were really struggling as they reversed the force of the fall which with just me would have been easy but with Luna's weight (not saying she was fat) the thrusters just couldn't take it, it slowed us down enough however but we still smashed into the ground. I checked myself over as the world began shaking, fore legs all good, neck fine and my back legs seem to be severely sprained possibly broken, I couldn't tell there were too many pains all over my body. I looked at Luna who looked alright considering we just fell off of a castle.

I looked at the sky and saw a black image flying away into the night exposed by the moon and sighed as I stood up. "This is not over yet" I said as I slung Luna over my back and began limping away to the sewer systems which was one of my escape routes. I took out my pistol and reloaded it, looking down at my reflection in a puddle I realised I looked really scary, but I had to shelf that thought as something happened at the wrong time, wrong place

Luna moved...

**Sorry for taking so long, I am soooooo sorry but I did deliver...I just realised I leave a lot of long pauses hey... Anyway... update tomorrow... hopefully...**

**Oh and please please please please review because it's good to know someone loves me...**

**I kid I just like praise, or constructive criticism both are equally good just please please please review...**

**Please...**


	13. Proper Introduction

**Proper Introduction**

I cursed my terrible luck as Luna groggily began to stir. I momentarily considered putting her by the castle but since this assassin from another world that could turn invisible was on the loose then taking her to my camp and protecting her would be so much better.

It would have been so much simpler if she'd just stayed unconscious as well but now I had to deal with  
this problem. I looked down at her and at my hoof "I'm so sorry" I said before I karate chopped her neck. Once more she went limp in my hooves and I breathed a sigh of relief as I dragged her to a small sewer duct. After pushing her in and dropping down after her I tried to gather my thoughts on what to do next which helped not think about the disgusting smell down here as well. Red must have been deactivated because she wasn't saying anything, my backpack seemed intact and the equipment in check. These things pleased me as well as the mission being overall a success even though I was heavily injured, on the run from a time travelling assassin whilst still coming to terms with this world and such like how I have no parents except a festive and a storage vat.

I coughed as we came to the end of the sewage system which flowed into a great lake which was around the back of Canterlot so as not to scare all the ponies I supposed.

I pushed Luna first and quickly dived after her, after a couple of seconds of tumbling through the very slight rapids I emerged on a river bank with Luna on my back. I huffed as I began the mile or so walk back to my camp with Luna being a higher calibre than normal ponies on my back (still not saying she's fat). She groaned a few times but in general she stayed pretty silent for the trek through the forest.

Upon reaching my camp immediately put Luna down and began checking my sensors for anypony who might have been here while I was gone. Finding no one I quickly took off my foul smelling armour and put on my standard armour, then I got my field med kit from my pack and Red out so I could diagnose how bad my legs were. I looked Red over, she appeared to have no damage on her chassis but when I looked underneath her energy crystal had been forcibly removed. I rummaged in my bag and found another of those weird crystals. I put one in and she slowly began to boot up. "Halt this instance you scoundrels you..." we're the first words she said to me before realising that it was only me. "Hello to you too Red" I said as I began unpacking bandages. "Asimov those assassins and Luna" she began but I interjected her "she's fine, few scrapes but the Colt's dead and the mare escaped barley, as for me I may have jumped off a castle and now need your doctor opinion" I said as I swallowed some pain pills.

"Asimov you do realise I am not a doctor and was programmed to give you a little background information here and there right"? I looked down at her holographic image "so you won't treat me" I asked. "Damn it of course I will I just don't like being put in this position so many times" she complained. "Yeah yeah how bad is it"? "We need to cut off your legs fast" she said in a rushed voice which actually made me grab my knife. "Easy Captain I was just joking, looks like ones sprained pretty badly whilst the other is broken, quite frankly I'm amazed you got all the way out here with Luna". "Well I have a way with staying on my toes I said, as I began to dress my wounds."Oh and Captain there is a really large wound on your flank which requires immediate attention" said Red as if reminding me.

I looked back and saw the nasty wound which I had taken for Luna. I got some water and washed me before bandaging myself up. Then I got up and went over to Luna, I cleaned her minor wounds and bandaged her head from what looked like a large object connected with her. "Asshole assassins didn't even use drugs I said as I laid her down by the fireplace I'd built."Didn't you say you knocked her out equally the same" snickered Res. "Do me a  
Favour Red and run scans over the area without talking to me" I said as I went over to the shelter to pick up my rifle.

"Captain my sensors are picking up something terrible" whispered Red quietly. I went on red alert immediately and dropped to the floor "what you picking up" I asked. Loads of seriously deadly toxic chemicals from you and Luna... i.e. you stink of sewer" she said imitating laughter.

I was about to come up with a witty response when suddenly Luna stirred and Red whispered "she's waking up"! "What do I do, what do I say?" I asked hurriedly, generally not knowing what to do. "Just don't tell her you knocked her out" said Red as her holographic form faded.

I considered hiding for a moment but realised that was moronic, soldiers don't hide they fight and respond to orders and my orders no matter how screwed up now were to protect Luna and the only way I could do that was by calmly explaining the situation to her.

Luna slowly opened one eye and I adopted a casual guard expression as she began to open her eyes fully. "What the, guard why, where"? "It's ok your majesty I will explain everything soon first drink some water" I said as I gave her a flask. She was suspicious at first but started to drink greedily after a while, all the time staring at me with accusing eyes.

I thought I should get the conversation rolling so I asked her some questions to fill some gaps, "want is the last thing you remember before this"? She hesitated for a moment before answering "We were just finished raising the moon when something knocked us out and we fell into blackness, then I awoke to find you talking with some fully about me, so I ask you now... who are you really and why do you think it wise to kidnap a Royal Princess"!

I sighed and stood up walking back and forth before finally coming to a salute saying "Captain Asimov Foundation A-Class of the U.E.R at your service Princess, I didn't kidnap you for any other reason except to keep you safe" I said all at once since I couldn't think of an easy way to tell her this. She stared blankly at me before asking "what is the U.E.R and why is it that they want to keep me safe and why do my sister and I not know about it"? I sighed and sat down on a nearby log saying "I suppose I should start from the beginning, while you were knocked out some Pegasus were going to kill you in front of four guards which would then cause your sister to retreat into the sun and leave ponies squabbling over whose fault it was until they formed three different factions". "These are the P.P.R the Pegasus. Pony. Republic, the U.A or United. Unicorns and my faction the E.U.R the Earth. Pony. Republic". "These factions will war for seven hundred years because of your death, an endless bloody war until my faction decided to put an end to it, they sent be from the year 2735 back to this time to protect you, however it seems that my time has followed me here and they all want you dead" I finished.

Luna looked at me indecorously for some time before saying in the Canterlot voice "you were that guard from the palace, the one who cheered us up with his physiological analysis" she said. "Yes your majesty I have spent an entire month out here preparing for your rescue and in that time a lot has happened that I wouldn't have dreamed of" I said. "For instance this forest is amazing, back in my time trees are mostly dead and the air runs so thick with smoke that the moon and the sun bale come blotted out" I said getting to my feet.

She looked down for a moment before asking "so what happens now"? I was surprised that she was asking me, but I did my best to hide it even though I was prepared to argue with her, thinking that she wanted to go back to Canterlot. "Umm well my plan was to go into hiding way up in the mountains that overlook the town Ponyville, that way we are close to supplies and far away so that the P.P.R assassin won't find us".

Luna looked up at the moon for a moment and after a minute I too followed her gaze even though all I saw was just a round rock. "Do you know my story...? Captain" she said her voice became a lot quieter now not the usual booming sort. I looked at her but she was still looking at the moon, "I have been kept from Equestria for 1000 years, held captive in m own moon for causing a war that killed hundreds of ponies" "I will not be responsible for the deaths of more, if you wish to hide me then so be it I shall accompany you to these mountains for the good of the Equestrian ponies" she said with such passion in her voice that it actually inspired me which was weird since inspiration usually comes in the form of Plasma Rifles.

"Ok then, well I guess I will have to introduce you to Red". "Who is this Red" asked Luna. Red chose this moment (always the dramatical one) to burst into life as her holo image activated and she answered "I am Princess Luna and may I say that you look nothing like the nightmare moon files on my hard drive" she said sounding a little disappointed. Luna frowned at this and the conversation entered the awkward silence faze.

"Anyway I will explain everything tomorrow but for now we should sleep". "But it's night time Captain I never sleep at night" responded Luna. "Well your majesty I'm sorry but I'm exhausted and have to walk through the Everfree forest tomorrow busted back legs so goodnight Red will explain any details you ask for I'm giving you full access ok Red" I said emphasizing her name. "Yes Captain just get some rest" she said in a humorous tone.

I nodded and made to close my eyes, not seeing the sudden javelin until it flew straight into my stomach burying itself inside me. I stared wide eyed at the blade which had pierced through my armour and coughed up blood, I heard Luna scream but the black tendrils were already wrapping themselves around me as the world became an unfamiliar inky blackness.


	14. Darkness Comes Calling

**Darkness Comes Calling**

"Mr Foundation please wake up, or not just open your eyes" was the voice which I heard first which was strange since it was my own voice. However it seemed to change as it was layered with whispers and echoes and it felt both comforting and alarmingly terrible. I got to my feet and recognised the stone corridor but I wasn't quite sure where from. I looked down it and saw a large pony wearing a dark helm and dark armour and sitting in a demonic looking throne and grinning maniacally. "Wow for me it takes you a while to analyse the situation" said the dark pony. "Where am I and what happened to Luna?" I asked taking a step forward. The other pony stood up as well and as I blinked he vanished his voice now coming from right behind my ear "oh you really are a few screws loose you dumb shit, you are dying right now" he said suddenly putting his hoof on my head. Whatever he did it was extremely painful because my brain felt like exploding. I cried in pain as visions of Luna filled my mind and then a large javelin filled my vision and impaled me. "Ahh" I cried, tearing myself away from his grasp.

The other pony staggered for a minute before he brushed himself down and took a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and lot one up. "Look here buddy you don' really know where you are so I'll tell you now, you are in your brain just an unused part where you store all the stuff you compress or stuff you don't want almost like a storage area quite clever really but I ain't going to bore you with details, basically I am cruelty, anger, greed all those nasty ones that you keep out in exchange for your zombie like soldier attitude which is really boring" he said as he picked something out of his teeth. I looked at this pony now and realised it kind of made sense in a really backward way. "But why does my mind have this area and where are emotions like love, happiness and the rest?" I asked.

The Demonic me chuckled and looked up at me, "Well I am dominant so unlocked them away in a cell just down this virtual hallway here and as for the question about your mind, I don't know but I'm guessing that genetically modifying messed you up somehow and now look you are talking to a suppressed emotion... Well done"!

I looked at this emotion of mine in disgust as I looked up and down the hallway until I saw that cell that he had mentioned. I strode towards it but suddenly felt something slip around my neck, a noose. "Oh no you don't there Mr Soldier, they stay where they belong where I can contain them and as for you I think that you'll be waking up soon which will be interestingly painful for you but here are some words of advice, I need out a body or something because you are going to start developing a secondary personality soon and let's face it I hate sharing and you hate me so find me a way out or I will crush you like a bug and throw you in with the emotions no one likes so this is a reminder for the future, heed it well" said the Demonic me before he punched me in the face.

I woke up in oh, a lot of pain. I assessed the situation, Luna and Red were still in the same position they were in before I went into nearing death mode and had a conversation with a demonic douche emotion in my brain. "Fuck" I cried out as u pushed the javelin out of me and got up wincing as time slowly seemed to speed up and Luna's scream came back to regular timing. I looked around for the assassin but remembered that she could be invisible. "Red where is she"? "Nothing on scanners it must hide her heat signatures as well as visuals"! "Try and detect anomalies in the environment temperature" I said as I got In front of Luna whose horn was glowing as if she anticipated the assassin to fall into her magical domain. Suddenly a familiar high pitched squeal sounded and as Luna dropped to her knees in pain my thoughts were confirmed. Even though I was immune Luna could hear a sonic Incapacitator which despite the name I knew after prolonged usage could kill a pony. "To your upper left" shouted Red as if she could hear it as well, which I guess she could.

I stabbed upwards with the javelin and met thin air. "Your right" now shouted Red. I stabbed right but once again thin air and now Luna's ears were starting to bleed as she screamed in utter agony. I waited looking for any sign of this assassin and suddenly Red shouted "Left"! So I stabbed right and was rewarded by the sound of flesh being slice and a startled groan, suddenly the female assassin appeared no longer hovering but held aloft by me as the spear slowly slid up into her stomach. She tried faintly to grab this spear but her hands were weak and slippery with her own blood. The noise slowly faded and died and Luna once more passed out from pain.

I looked at the assassin who was clinging to life, I held her with the spear in one hoof while my other drew my pistol. I levelled it at her head this time making sure she wouldn't harm either me or Luna again and putting an end to the pointless war which would kill millions.

"More will come you know, you can't stop it" chuckled the assassin maniacally. Suddenly she reached down and grabbed a knife quicker than I could blink and threw it at me. At the exact same time I fired and her head exploded in my face splattering just like her comrade's had just hours ago. She died instantly but for me her hurting me was not over yet as her knife plunged into my shoulder, spouting yet more blood. I collapsed under her weight and immediately rolled onto my back my energy now completely spent as my blood poorer out of me. I saw Red nestled in a bushel and started to. Law my way over to her. "Red, activate Code Help 48 and protect Luna... My part is done now" I said as those black tendrils wound my way into my vision. "Captain you can't die you saved them all of them, the entire world"! "Listen Red I may be different if I survive I don't fully know but I..." but that is where I had to stop because the sky darkened as I finally passed out and the cackling of an insane pony could be heard in the background saying "soon"!

**Ok bit of a shortie but give me a break, I have noticed that I'm skipping detail so I will try harder to get you better quality...**


	15. Explanation

**Explanation**

"Oh look your dying again and by how strong you smell it looks like your just about a goner" came a very unpleasant voice from behind my ear. I tried to stand up but all I could manage was to roll over slightly as my body ached all over. "Whoa easy there you do realise that you have ruined our body like literally two busted legs a e stomach wound and a knife in the shoulder, all we need now is an arrow in the knee" said demonic me with a chuckle. "Why are you doing this" I asked although I had to admit my voice was sounding slightly faint as well. Demonic me sighed and walked down the large hallway to his dark throne which he lounged on in an uncaring sort of way. "From the day you were born your emotions had a neutral point, always balanced as they should be but with the soldier treatment you were given you were instructed to be patient, loyal and what I like to call a large amount of boring. "These traits were fine however when you were in your own time but you need to take into account some things". "One you've been genetically modified and two your body has been bombarded with time particles which still me not knowing all the mechanics here might have caused your personality to spit open and mix you know Red said that some things mix through time like our mane, well like that but with your suppressed emotions I mean before this time is was talking kept to a minimum with affirmative being the primary word to any conversation but here you talk openly about things and have begun using your feelings like anger or in the case with those baby manticores which personally I'd of put down and eaten you showed kindness".

I seemed to understand this now but there was still something that got me "What's your part in this"? The demonic me chuckled in his deep voice and stood up walking over to what looked like a model of me but dressed in insane clothes. "Well as you can see you currently have no ink or threads so I'm going to change that and then maybe go takeover Equestria" said now insane me. I blinked in miscomprehension "so how exactly will you do that when I control the body"? "Oh you must have skipped my earlier explanation, you see I told you that you might start developing a secondary personality but the more your emotions bloom and you get angrier particularly the more frequent they will become until I grow strong enough to take over your body and do all the fun things I've always wanted to do" chuckled insane me.

I could only stare at me in a way somepony stares at a leech "you sick fuck" was all I could say. "Ooh no you didn't" said insane me "you see even though I need that body to survive and having a brain dead moron controlling it wouldn't help I am the king here, I could show you twisted thoughts that would blow your sanity all the way up to ten thousand feet!" said insane me.

Suddenly however I began hearing different voices which began to get louder and louder. "An looks like our time is up so no messing with you until you nearly die next time so please do me a favour and fall on your sword" said insane me as the world began to get very bright.

I woke up in a room recognising immediately that it was the castles south hospital wing; however I didn't open my eyes long and quickly closed them as I could slowly hear the voices of Luna, Red and Celestia come into focus. "So he was sent here to protect you" asked Celestia. "Yes sister, if it weren't for him then I would be certainly dead at the hands of what was it called Red"? "The P.P.R your majesty, although hopefully you won't have to worry about them anymore" answered Red. "But why didn't he just inform us" asked Celestia. "He wanted to keep a low profile so as not to disrupt time which didn't really work, also I don't think you would have listened to him" said Red. "Nonsense I care for all my subjects no matter where or when they were born" said Celestia

. "Ok your majesty, you would believe a weirdly dressed pony from the future come back in time to stop your sister being killed by an organisation that is not to be created for another four hundred years!" exclaimed Red. There was silence for a moment before Luna asked "I thought the citizens started fighting only a few years after my death". "Well yes but for the Pegasus they went by the name of the P.U.O or the Pegasus. United. Organisation" explained Red. Once more there was silence before Luna asked "why is it that you move again magical painting"? Red seemed to sigh as If she'd been explaining this for a very long time "your majesty, I am simply a tool which is very advanced and runs off the power of zero crystalline energy" she explained as if it was perfectly clear. Luna still didn't seem content but Celestia stepped in by saying "I have other matters to about to and I've done all the healing I can, notify me if he does anything drastic but until then I'll be attending my royal duties, good day" and with that I heard movement and a door opening and closing.

Silence reigned for a few moments when suddenly Luna began to talk again "what happened to his cutie mark"? I panicked at this and decided it best I wake up now. I opened my eyes suddenly and moved a little to make my presence known. "Captain Foundation" said Luna getting up from the chair and coming over to me "you are awake, are you ok"? I was stunned; this was probably the first time that me and Luna could talk properly with no worry of a crazy assassin coming out of the woodwork.

"Fine Princess, I simply wish to know how I got here and how you are?" I asked. I noted that She blushed at my last comment and answered me "I'm fine thanks to you, another second and I thought my head would explode" she tried chuckling. "Oh it would have" I stupidly said. She looked at me in an odd way by Red cut in "after you killed the assassin I sent up a warning image which could be seen across the sky". "I don't think I'd be alive if it weren't for you" I told Red as I propped myself up on my elbows. Red. "I was just following your order Captain" she said.

I coughed and looked back to Luna "your majesty how long have I been out for"? "About two days, you were seriously injured and even with my sisters healing capabilities you nearly died" 'she said. "Well your majesty I am very grateful, I presume Red has informed you fully on my mission and the reason I am here" I asked. "Oh yes, Red has been very cooperative with me and Tia but we would prefer your account on this later today if you feel up to it"?

I cracked my bones and got up out of bed, I was in a hospital robe and hadn't actually seen myself yet and saw that my legs were in splints and my stomach appeared to have already fully healed, I also noticed that the dye had washed out of my mane and I was now a very matt black once more. "I will be fine Princess I simply wish to know where my equipment is and I will resume my mission".

Luna looked stunned and said "I meant Celestia would come to you not the other way around". "Please your highness I have been injured worse before and still went on to take back Stalliongrad". Luna looked at me oddly before asking "where's that"? "Oh I don't think it exists yet but I'm not sure it will ever exist now".

Luna seemed to want to ask more but she sighed and pointed to the door go down about five doorways and it's the door on the right which I think you know as the armoury, I hope you don't mind if we examine your equipment"? This made my eyes grow wide and I looked at Red "what exactly did you say about this"? "Me, I didn't know" she exclaimed.

I pushed past Luna quickly and started limping as fast as I could to the armoury. I passed an awful lot of guard ponies which seemed to have quadrupled since the day two days ago. They seemed to stare at me with accusing eyes and I wondered I they blamed me for the death of their comrades.

I reached the armoury and quickly opened the door wide. I immediately ducked as an energy pulse ripped through the nearby door frame making an awfully large hole. I looked up at a young pony with a black eye standing in front of about five other guard ponies holding the gun aloft and with wide eyes. "Damn it Chad" I yelled as I strode over and yanked the gun from his grip. The young guard pony looked at me with his eyes seemingly to get louder, he tried to say something but he chose to faint instead.

"Well well it looks like our murderer has showed up" said a voice from behind the group of ponies. Suddenly the Captain of the Guard appeared from the middle of them and for a couple of heartbeats which may as well have been an entire lifetime we just stared directly into each other's eyes. "I am no murderer Captain..."?"Oh yes I've never told you my name" said the other Captain "I am Captain Shining Armour of the Royal Canterlot Guard, and as I have heard you are the hero who saved Princess Luna". "I wouldn't call me a hero" I said. "That's good because I wouldn't call you a hero either, anypony who causes panic riots, impersonates a Royal Guard and punches a Royal Guard I would have thrown in the darkest dungeons of Canterlot and locked away the key, but as the Royal Princess's tell me you did these things for the good of Equestria so I suppose I have to say thanks" he said callously.

I looked at him before nodding, "As I said before Captain I am also a Captain" I said as I looked at the guards staring nervously at me. "Really, I know your name is Asimov or something but in what are you Captain of in future Equestria"? I was surprised "didn't Celestia or Luna tell you yet"? He seemed to go red as he responded "Well, it's a strictly need to know basis". "I see... well I am Captain Asimov Foundation A-Class of the U.E.R and no I'm not going to go into full detail about the U.E.R or anything, if you want a full explanation then come to the throne room with me after I collect my gear" I said.

"Oh you're not getting any weapons" said Shining Armour. I blinked for a second before asking "why exactly not"? "Look Captain Foundation, I don't trust you like the Princesses do, and letting you take such weird and advanced weaponry would endanger them greatly". "Me endanger, you nearly blew my head off as I walked through the door!" I exclaimed. "That was just a little test Captain, which is why you should not get you stuff back now we know how dangerous it can be" explained Shining Armour. "Shining Armour give him his stuff back" came the voice of Luna. She was looking through the large. Last hole in the door and the Captain as did the rest of the guards (except Chad) bowed deeply with what I could detect as some tension even from Shining Armour. "But your majesty he's...". "To be completely trusted" interjected Luna "now give him his stuff back and like he said meet us in the throne room so he can tell his story in full".

By the looks of it Shining Armour was really torn, but he eventually nodded and two of his guards went over and retrieved my stuff and put it in my arms. "If you even breathe heavily my men will come down on you like an Ursa Major squashes countries!" said Shining Armour threateningly. "I don't even know what that is" I said in an equally threatening voice. Shining Armour looked away and strode past Luna out of the Armoury bowing his head as he went whilst the other guards started trying to wake up Chad. "Asimov would you care to accompany me to the throne room?" asked Luna.

Even though I tried I couldn't help but smile "I'd like that a lot your majesty".

**Yay, this chapter had more detail... I think although I did put in extra time so... Yeah. Also Please Review I mean you don't have to it's just nice to see what people think of the story.**

Yeah...


	16. Argument

**Argument **

I made my way with Luna Down the hallway thinking only about how I was going to handle the next few hours most likely. I t wouldn't matter much since Celestia and Luna were already mostly informed by Red. Which kind of made the penny drop "where's Red?" I asked. "Oh I sent a guard with her on ahead, do tell me I am curious to know how she can, talk when she is not born but made"?

This struck a chord in my mind as I remembered back to when Red told me I was manufactured not born even though it wouldn't really have mattered since I never would have met my parents anyhow.

"Captain are you ok?" asked Luna looking at me with those big moon eyes. That was wired I'd never referred to eyes as big as the moon before. This made me think about my emotions now which really made me feel weird; my stomach felt not bad but like it was full of light air. "Well Luna umm many things can be manufactured manually from the future like Red, but organically can be made as well" I said quietly.

Luna's brow furrowed and she looked confused, she asked "what do you mean organic"? I took a deep breath before replying "well take... me for example I... I was not born but made". Luna still looked confused so I further explained. "In my time they can take a DNA of many strong and fast ponies and string them together and add little modifications on here and there and then grow it in a tank of nutrients until it is old enough to survive on its own and grow up to survive time travel and go back to 2012 to save a very important Princess" I said. Luna now seemed to stare at me in a way I couldn't quite tell but we had already reached the throne room so we didn't expand the conversation further which suited me fine being that people from my time thought genetically engineered ponies were freaks I hoped Luna wouldn't share the same thoughts.

The two guards on Patrol took a good long look at us before knocking on the door which was then unlocked from the opposite side, allowing us entry. I was glad to see security had been stepped up and that guards were at least armed now and hopefully competent in their usage.

Luna and I made our way up a large Red Carpet where a few ponies were gathered by the side-lines, I stopped short before the thrones and Luna carried in, sitting in a black as night one smaller to that of her sisters.

Shining Armour seemed to slip in later followed by many guards who stationed themselves around the room and tried to look menacing even though I'd seen scarier foals in my time.

"Silence everyone!" shouted Luna with her Canterlot voice and the hushed voices of the room fell silent under the call of the Princess. "We are gathered here today to take a full account of the rumours that have been spreading around Equestria" said Celestia. "As you know Equestria has had its first murder in over 900 years but this is not the case, as you know Princess Luna was kidnapped two days ago leaving more bodies but this also is not the case, the explanation to these rumours shall be answered with the telling of an extraordinary tale which this pony here shall be telling us" announced Princess Celestia.

Way to pile the pressure on was all I could think of before all faces in the room turned on me. I looked around my room and had a really nervous feeling, I never got nervous but once again I assessed my plan of action.

"Excuse me one moment" I said to everyone as I scanned the room until I found a guard holding a tray with Red on it patiently. I strode over to him and. Kyle have sworn that every guards eyes bore into my back getting there.  
The guard himself seemed to tear back slightly as I took Red whilst muttering thanks.

"What is it" she asked almost inaudibly. "Look I suck at weaving tales so when I refer to something I want you to project it out like a presentation" I whispered. "Do I look like a presentation module!?" she said annoyingly before I put her down by my feet in my regular position and looked up at the Princesses.

"Finished?" asked Celestia raising an eyebrow. I only nodded and turned to the small crowd of ponies watching me.

"As everyone knows some strange things have been going on lately, I'm going to keep myself brief by telling you this". "If Luna had died a few days ago then Celestia would retreat into the sun and you would be squabbling amongst yourselves right now as your entire monarchy political system failed". "At that point the country will dive into depression which will then lead to three different factions promising better things for three different types of ponies". "These are the United Earth Ponies the Pegasus Pony Republic and the Unicorns Alliance. These powers will then long political debates blaming he war on each other until a full blown war erupts splitting what's left of Equestria into tiny fractures" I said as Red now began warming to presentation ideas and started showing grisly stock photos of war.

"My name is Captain Foundation A-Class of the U.E.R and I was assigned to a mission which would stop the slaughter of millions, I was to travel through time with the aid of modern machinery to save Luna here but it seemed the future followed me and was the cause of this mess in the first place as the P.P.R tried to kill her and the U.A have shown up as two mutilated ponies as you saw  
in the square that day". "I will keep the details to a minimum but I believed they were warning me and when I killed both assassins one at the top of the tower and the other in the woods, the last one told me that more will come so this is my mission to protect her with all the power I can muster... any questions"?

About fifty ponies filled the room and about fifty ponies exploded with questions. I had a real urge to jump out a window about then but Luna calmed them in a delicate way.  
"SILENCE!" she roared in her Canterlot voice.

Everyone fell silent and I looked up at her, she gave me a small nod before looking to her sister. Celestia looked deep in thought as if something about an apocalypse and the collapse of her reign freaked her out. "Is my sister in danger Captain" she finally asked.

I looked up at her and caught her eye which seemed to reflect the rest of the room. "Yes your majesty" I said as I threw myself round and firing my rifle  
from my hip straight up into the roof.

**So sorry for being late, tests and stuff came up so...yeah...I want to just... I don't know...become a real boy or something...yeah...…**


	17. For Those About To

**For Those About To**

I let my pulse rifle come alive in my hand and it sprayed pulses all over the place. Suddenly shouts erupted from above the rafters and a large silhouette which I had seen reflected in Celestia's eyes became a Unicorn clad in combats with an expression on his face that I would describe not as murderous but lunatic. He was brown flanked and had absolutely no mane whatsoever and he seemed to have a fixed smile on his face all the time which added to the insane levels.

He lunged at me with a tiny blade erupting from nowhere as he tried to stab me; I dodged dropping my rifle and drawing my combat knife. The other guards in the room drew their swords and the Princesses were immediately surrounded by a circle of guards whilst Shining Armour made to surround me and the other pony.

"Shining Armour stay out of this!" I said loudly as the maniac pony looked from side to side as if noticing the crowd of ponies encircling him for the first time. "Captain Foundation you are not a member of the guard and in this case a civilian so I demand you stand down, we'll take care of this" he said as he edged closer.

Suddenly the crazed pony splayed his hands and all the ponies but Shining Armour and a few of his guards went down with tiny throwing knives sticking from their throats.

The blood seemed to get everywhere as it erupted from there gurgling mouths covering everyone in its radius and making the remaining guards drop their weapons in disgust. All except Shining Armour who even though was looking a little green stayed focused (which I observed was a trait not many ponies in this time seemed to have) and began circling again, careful not to tread on any of his fallen comrades and their blood.

The other guards had already passed out or fled from the bloody scene in sheer terror, the four guards protecting Luna and Celestia began to edge them towards the throne room door but the crazed U.A pony (as I read from his light armour) noticed this and smiled all the more. He pulled out two large machete like things and slashed both at me and Shining Armour. We dodged the hulking weapons easily enough but then they came round just as quick and we we're forced into a slow retreat as this smiley pony forced us back.

Suddenly Celestia stepped away from her guards and using a powerful voice (lot like her sisters Canterlot voice) yelled "enough of this madness"! We all looked her way and I was blinded as a pure ray of sun golden energy burst from her horn and engulfed the smiley pony. I thought this would take care of our problem as did Celestia until the pony stepped through the light which seemed to filter out the heat and radiation.

I could tell he couldn't see though and I this to my advantage by stabbing him promptly through the heart. His armour originally intended to protect magic was nothing against my refined blade and I easily cut into him.

His eyes fluttered and he looked at me still smiling and whispered through his clenched teeth "for Equestria" before he brought down both his machetes intending to slice me in two. Being totally exposed all I could think was how stupid and lazy I'd been before the machetes… stopped and were instead met by a clang. I looked up to see Shining Armour stopping he left blade with his sword while Luna's magic held back the right machete.

Energy spent the smiling lunatic U.A assassin died going limp and falling to the floor, causing my knife to travel further into him and stick out the other end of his body.

Everyone was silent for a moment as I looked down and checked his pulse. "Is he definitely dead?" asked Luna stepping close. I ran over to my pulse rifle and after cocking went back over and shot the assassin about ten times at point blank range aiming for the head.

"He certainly is now" I said slinging my rifle over my back and moving a guard's body to retrieve Red.

"Asimov is you ok?" she asked worriedly after I found her. "You have sensors so you tell me" I said as I attached her to my belt and strode over to the group of ponies.

"Captain Shining Armour" I said motioning him to step away from the large group. "Damn thought I was a goner in that one, but you killed him" he said in a shocked voice. "Captain you saved me, so we're square but I need you to quarantine this area and move the Princess's away to the secondary throne room at the back of the castle, get your men to clear up his mess and take it to the morgue but send men to retrieve the other dead ponies that aren't your guards and put them in the northern hospital basement, which I believe hasn't been used in a few years on" I said in a calming tone but pushing my luck to the limits of space.

He was actually too much in shock to respond with his voice so instead he nodded slightly and I said "good Captain" and left for Luna.

She was a little away from the crowd which was concentrated on Celestia and now Shining Armour's new orders. I limped over to her as the adrenaline began to fade and my old still healing injuries came back and now ached more than ever. They didn't improve either when Luna through herself around me in a tight embraces saying "by the moon you saved my life again"!

I coughed as I was positive I felt a rib crack "sure Luna I'm glad you're ok too" I said before I could stop myself. She blushed deeply but another guard tapped her on the shoulder asking her to follow him before she could respond. I was glad too because my own face was bright Red and very visible against the blackness of my cheeks.

I watched as guards began to put the bodies into large sacks and carry them away, I went over to a corner of the throne room where I activated Red. "This is bad Captain" she immediately said with her holographic image turning black. "I know Luna is in even more danger now than ever I need to enact my original plan and get her out of the radar and into the mountains" I said scratching my chin.

The image of Red nodded and I clipped her back onto my belt and strode past the clean-up team heading for the second throne room. I passed a flood of ponies on my way and upon reaching the second throne room came up against ten guards standing against a door covered in glowing red magic. I made to enter but the head guard didn't move until Shining Armour came by seeming to have recovered he said "let him pass, he probably saved a lot of lives today including the Princess's".

The guard pony reluctantly stepped back and I nodded my thanks to Shining Armour, striding into the magically enchanted doors.

The Princesses were at the end of this much smaller and less grand throne room and by the looks of it swamped by advisors and guards demanding instructions and advise. Luna saw me first and whispered to Celestia who told all the ponies in a very polite way to get lost. I strode past mumbling ponies and went before my protectorate and ruler (I suppose since I am a subject officially) and bowed.

"We are so very grateful for you saving our lives Captain Foundation" said Celestia in royal tone "we realise that our time might have treated you with some resentment and I affection but we will change that" said Celestia before I put my hoof up to silence her.

"I ask for nothing your majesties but to protect the future and my job has just gotten a hell of a lot trickier so I need permission for some things" I said even though I would do them anyway without their permission. "Anything" said Luna. "Well I need examine thoroughly the bodies of those future ponies for useful equipment and to destroy anything still dangerous and for that I need to borrow a small hospital basemen to the north, then I need you both and Shining Armour to gather someplace alone tonight where I shall tell you the answer to your previous question".

The two princesses looked at each other before nodding  
however Luna had a problem "but why can't you tell us now"? I looked at her then motioned around the whole room "walls have ears". They looked at me in puzzlement and I sighed saying "just cherish the next few hours together and by then I'll be back with the plan" I said.

Celestia cocked her head and looked at me "you're telling two royal Princesses what to do"? It sounded pretty ridiculous but yes I supposes I was, "oh no your majesty simply guiding you" I told them. Luna then piped up "I don't mind you save me once again" she said. I looked at her now and with a blush said "you're worth saving".

She stared at me with an emotionless expression whilst my brain began to process what I'd said. "I mean for the future" I stuttered "you know your survival d…depends on… yeah and stuff" I started ramping and decided It best to go now.

So I turned my back on Royalty (something I was sure I was no supposed to do and went to hang out with a bunch of dead ponies in a creepy basement.

"At least they don't talk" I said to myself as I left the throne room. "What" said Red.? "Err nothing just… I don't know" I said genuinely feeling out of it for the first time in my life.

My body felt weird and my emotions seemed to rumble like they were a whirlwind of confusion. Why is it so difficult?

I did it, I think or did another me do it... Me is not correct...Æ-what does this mean

Why no leave a review and tell me and also add a little praise for the WORLDS GREATEST EVER PERSON SINCE THE CAVE MAN...!.!.!.!.!.!


	18. The Things One Does

**The Things One Does  
**

I had arrived in the dusty, cobwebbed old abandoned hospital basement that had kind of been turned into a storage area for what looked like medieval rugs which had long since been eaten away.

I was tired but I rubbed my eyes and shook myself awake when I saw five body bags on a freshly cleaned table. I noticed three were black and two white so I guessed that the white ones contained those scientist ponies and the black ones the assassins.

I grabbed a rickety nearby small table and put Red along with all my equipment down on it. "What are you going to do Asimov" she asked. "I'm going to first take all their gear and then I want you to fully scan them and see If I need to get my knife, then I'm going to put them all in a large basin and fill it with water which I will then dissolve with a green Emerald crystal and if I can get some alcohol which should turn the water acidic and melt them and any equipment that I believe unfit down into splotches of gunk" I said trying to stay as emotionless as possible.

Red's hologram looked at me quizzically before asking "by pony standards wouldn't that be considered sick"? "Yes Red but I am not a pony I am a soldier I do what I must with none of the bullshit in between" I said unsure fly. "You seem to be reassuring yourself somehow" accused Red. "Don't be ridiculous I am simply stating a fact" I said firmly turning away and unzipping the first black body bag.

Red imitated a thinking expression and said "your voice shows signs of lying and putting that and the fact you've been having violent mood swings recently adds up to something is wrong".

I sighed and put down a necklace that I had found on the female assassin which contained lethal acid poison. "It's very complicated Red". "I don't care Asimov, of this affects mission objective then I am obliged to ask and receive a worthy answer" she stated plainly.

I walked over to an old wardrobe suddenly not feeling well, suddenly a vein popped on my forehead and I felt really hot and sticky. Red began to say something but the words were blanked out as I began to hear bought but the thudding of platoon marching in my ears getting louder and louder until the noise became unbearable.

I couldn't help myself anymore and I lashed out with a cry at the wardrobe, breaking into the doorway with my hoof and ripping them off their hinges with a snarl.

I looked at the wardrobe and then Red and saw the shock on her little filly holographic image of a face which made me stop and slow my breathing. It was a further five minutes before I felt calm enough to respond.

"I…I'm sorry Red I… have a problem, I may be developing a strong secondary personality in the back of my head and I have been communicating with him like he was alive which he is". "He wants to get out and he can only do that if I use emotions I've never used before like anger, jealousy, malice all the lovely ones and I can't seem to stop it!" I shouted out frustrated.

Red was silent for a long time and the eeriness of the basement just added to the long silence affect. "You are a soldier of the U.E.R, you fight when told to and die when told to and currently you are expressing overactive emotions" "technically you were showing overactive emotions for weeks but for mission purposes I let this pass however if you are emotionally unstable and may prove a danger to the Princess then as article 657B states you are ordered to turn yourself over to your superior officer, however if you are in the field then orders are to stay put until any member of the U.E.R appears which we know won't happen" said Red in a monotone voice.

I looked at her and slowly slid to the floor my head in my hands "what am I going to do?" I asked sullenly. "As unfit for dug as you are a lot of the future rides on you succeeding in the protection of Princess Luna so since I can't report this I have no choice but to let this one slide however you need to bridge the tide of emotions flowing through you and become the old soldier you used to be". "Disciplined, cold and above all else without fear or anger". "You told me to shape up or ship out and I did, now I'm ordering you Captain Asimov no more fooling around" she told me in a strict voice.

I sniffed once and stood up shaking my head and clearing my thoughts. I strode over to the table with the bodies on it and sighed "your right Red, from now on no more fun or anger, I will become what I was created to be… a soldier".

She was silent now as I began to undress the assassin and analyse the clothes. "These fibres are covered in microscopic mirrors which can be rotated to Make the user invisible, sadly you seem to have Broken the stitching rendering it slightly visible, however I believe that you could still use it to be hard to see" Red said after a moment. I nodded and moved it to one side.

Next I picked up the male assassins invisibility armour and let Red scan it. "Poor luck here Asimov, looks like you severed a main power conduct rendering this suit a billion bits piece of junk" she said with a snicker. I ignored her and moved it to one pile whilst picking up a couple of small tracking devices and other things. "Why didn't they bring weapon?" I asked as I looked through the meagre amount of supplies they'd brought with them.

Red though a moment before saying "maybe they wanted it to look like a pony from this time killed the Princess, maybe they're equipment didn't survive the time jump who knows"?

I then grabbed a large spear which I had been stabbed with, this was certainly very different and I hadn't known that the guards had kept it. "Shining Armour seems on the ball" remarked Red. I nodded as I examined the fine craftsmanship of the spear obviously from my time.

"It's made of the same metal as your Armour Asimov, probably why it cut through you as well" said Red. It was a good weapon to have in close combat anyway so I put it to one side with some other things.

"Right Red I need you to scan both ponies and tell me if I have to get rubber gloves" I said praying I didn't have to. "I already scanned them Asimov and I'm afraid that the male has something metallic lodged in his throat which doesn't register as a steel plate or other pure metal but something technological" said Red.

I sighed as I got out my very sharp combat knife and properly looked at the male assassin's body. It was cut in many places but the head was mostly gone with only the jaw intact. I grabbed the back of his head with my hoof and made a slight incision on his throat. Some blood leaked out but it was small because of the lack of circulation. "It's a little above the cut Asimov" said Red as I began to slowly put my hoof into his throat.

I felt a solid object wedged into one side of the windpipe and quickly pulled it out, flicking my fingers free of as much blood as possible and wishing that that the basement had a tap.

I looked over the small bloody device and asked "what is it exactly"? "Well I don't know do I look like a scanner to you Asimov?" asked Red sarcastically. I wiped the device on the useless invisibility armour and looked at now noticing a tiny switch. I clicked it on and a poor holographic image of a small filly showed up with the male assassin and a mare. They looked like a family in this time by how happy they looked all smiling and cheerful.

I was silent looking at the face of the little filly and then at the assassin. "We should move along" said Red. I clicked the image off and tried to suppress the remorse I had for my enemy who had tried to keep the memory of his daughter with him.

I moved it to one side and now looked to the crazy unicorn assassin. This was fruitful and I found a lot of knives first, some I kept others I discarded. Some flash blinding grenades and what looked like a set of vials and syringes.

"Looks like some first aid gear" said Red as she scanned them. I then took off this pony's armour which was very heavy, heavier than mine and Red examined it. "Looks like the U.A have developed a way to convert magic into harmless energy" said Red as she and I examined it. "I pried open the middle of the armour and found and removed the device that seemed to do It all."Could I incorporate this into my backpack and it could stop magical attacks right Red"? "Maybe, but his armour also acts as one large resistor so he doesn't overload it, the device may work for a short time but don't expect to withstand an attack from Celestia because it'll cut out after it begins to overheat".

I set this with the other things I'd been keeping and put the body of the crazed assassin to the side with the others.

I moved the body of the U.A scientist pony with the extra limbs and once more a missing head and searched through his pockets. I was amazed the guards hadn't already done this but I guessed that they were squeamish since these ponies were so freakishly mutilated. I found however some pens, a small notepad completely burned through and a small scanner which could be used to detect substances.

I put his coat to the side and moved his body before moving onto his brother. "Captain I think that you should wait before opening that bag" said Red suddenly.

I looked at her holographic image In question. "Red I am not a squeamish pony I have just brushed down and opened up these ponies and now I'm about to do the same with this de limbed pony" I said opening the bag.

"It's not that Captain it's just, I'm detecting some very strange activity in his brain" said Red. I now looked back at her ludicrously with my boot still on the zip. "You're telling me that he is alive"! She shook her head confirm what I knew to be true "his heart has stopped and his blood it dry but there seems to be activity in his lower brain functions".

As she said this something moved inside the bag and suddenly a hoof grabbed my own and tried to pull me down. I reacted fast pulling my arm back and trying to break away. However the hoof of this so called dead pony held on to mine and I was under constant strain to remain away from the dead pony that was now slowly wiggling its way out of the bag. I tried to reach for my combat knife on belt next to Red but it was just too far.

"Captain there's an old sword behind you to your left!" shouted Red.

I kicked free of this walking dead pony and scrambled for the sword. Unfortunately when I kicked the dead pony away his body fell off the table and onto the floor allowing him to crawl out of his body bag surprisingly fast for a dead guy and come after me.

I reached the rusty, medieval sword wedged between some old furniture and pointed it at the dead pony who was advancing fairly quickly now and snarling.

Since he was missing a leg he was crawling towards me which made a mess as his wounds began to bleed again. However what got me bad were his eyes which were pure red and his face snarling and chomping as if he wanted to eat me or something.

"Stay back!" I shouted edging back as he got closer. He kept coming though now pulling himself up into a standing position with nearby furniture and clawing towards me. "I will kill you" I warned him with a wavering voice. He ignored me and I took action, sticking him through with the sword which lodged into an old wardrobe behind him and pinned him there.

That hit would have killed him if he'd been a normal pony bit this unreal, should be dead pony was still trying to get my flesh as he waved his arms in my general direction and snarled.

I edged away from him and picked up my sidearm. "Red what happened to him? He should be dead!" I said as I cocked my gun. "His brain is still active somehow but I have no idea why the rest of his body is up and more or less running" she said as we looked at the sad sight before us.

"Whatever he is he should be dead and I'm gonna help him out" I said as I pointed my pistol at his head. "Wait Asimov"! I looked round at her and she explained "take a blood sample to analyse later, this could come up again and we need information, he should be dead but he is up and running like nothing has happened except limb dismemberment"!

I looked at this sad wreck of a once great U.A scientist now a snarling monster and then at Red's pleading gaze.

"Ok" I said as I made my decision…

**YAY!  
You guys choose it's been a while since I've let you choose so review me your votes either:  
Shoot him  
Sample  
Hope you've enjoyed and I promise action and romance will now become a lot stronger...**

By the way, should he get a companion...?  
Did I fix the spelling and paragraphs enough…?  
Will Justin Bieber ever be destroyed...?

See you... Well I can't see you so pretend I can see you and wave goodbye... Or call the police you know need mind...Yeah...


	19. Testing 123

**Testing 1...2...3  
**

I stabbed the pony with a syringe and took a large sample of his blood which was a muddy black colour with dots of red here and there.

Then I brought my gun around and blew his head off at point blank range. Let's just say the room got completely covered in the foul smelling blood and everything became very quiet and somewhat eerie.

"Red, is he dead?" I asked quietly my breathing echoing around the room. "I think so" she responded which really put my mind at ease. "Only one way to find out" I murmured as I edged slowly towards him.

His brain tissue was everywhere and his foul smell cut through the air like a knife. He wasn't moving at all and by the looks of it wasn't planning on doing so either.

"He's dead" I said wiping the blood off my head with a hoof. "Thank the maker, the job is only half done though Asimov" said Red. "What!?" I asked her ludicrously. "You need to check his pockets for things my scanner might not pick up".

I coughed as I looked the dead scientist up and down. "Red what if he's still alive" I said as I picked up the spear and gently prodded the body. "Easy answer, kill him again" she responded and with that shut off.

I wiped my head again and edged closer, I poked the dead pony with my spear hard enough to cause pain and waited for a response, I found nothing so continued forward. I reached into his pockets and felt around for anything of value.

I found an antique coin, a copy of the U.A regulation manual which was slightly burned and what looked to have been a gun once but with the handle completely melted off. "This may come in handy" I muttered to myself as I pocketed the broken gun.

I then moved his body off the sword and over to the other bodies. I clapped and shouted "Red wake up and stop blanking me we have work to do"! "Okay stop yelling" she said coming back from the land of standby.

"We have to create an acidic solution out of the Green Emerald Ruby and water so that they are completely erased and then we have to work out what happened to that pony that should have been dead as my sense of humour"!

"Ok you get to work and hook me up to that scanner and put the string in the holder" she said. I inserted some pins at the end of the scanner into Red's box and she interfaced with the portal scanner. Then I put the string between into the scanner and began my work of moving five bodies into a large stone basin.

After I had moved all the ponies into the stone basin (no easy task) I took a large green Emerald Ruby from my backpack and stared at its beauty. "Amazing Red, these things power our technology, aid our warfare and are part of upper class dress fashion and if my history lesson in my 6th year of training is correct then dragons used to eat them believe it or not" I said remembering back all those years.

Red looked up from the scanner she was pretending to look at even though her processor knew exactly what was going on inside it. "What do you mean by lesson"? I looked up at her and was about to grin but stopped myself and kept the mono voice "oh they only gave us one lesson because it was mainly about the history of war not so much about the history of Equestria" I said trying very hard to suppress emotion.

Red nodded at me and went back to her work. I looked around the room and found some water pipes on the sealing which probably ran all over the castle. I sheepishly slashed apart the pipe as if it were a P.P.R wing membrane and watched as the pipe gushed pure water into the basin with the bodies of all the ponies.

Once it was mostly full I pulled my gun from my holster and shot the pipe a couple of times until the metal fused together and the pipe sealed itself. "Not the best plumber in the world I said as I tossed the Emerald ruby into the basin.

It began to bubble and boils the second It entered and turned a green, sickly yellow colour. The dead ponies began to smoulder and dissolve as the acid I had created began to eat into their tissue and break everything down.

I brushed my hands and looked over at Red who was concentrating really hard by the look of it. "Come on Red these guys will smell really bad very soon and I don't want to get a taste of it so finish your scan and we'll discuss it elsewhere".

"Asimov these results are...incredible" said Red awestruck. I moved on over to her and looked at lots  
of little microbe things join other little microbe things which made one big blob. "What is it?" I asked. Red looked at me and started to explain "It seems that the normal cells of a pony have been bombarded with some new form of smart virus which like the Organelle Mitochondria creates energy but in a different way by using the hosts blood as a source of supreme energy, what I don't is that it produces an overhaul of energy which without new blood could sustain the host for years". "It activates the lower brain functions so instinct is active but the grey area of the brain seems to be defunct but the possibilities for these microbes are phenomenal if we can somehow...".

"Hold it Red!" I said forcefully "We are not keeping this monstrosity"! "Captain this is a great leap in the fields of science, gruesome and primitive sure but think what could be achieved if we refined this strain!" said Red excitedly.

I looked at her and at the syringe and had to agree that it was pretty amazing and having an endless supply of energy would help immensely in any fight.

"Ok Red, I'll keep it in my vial case, but I don't want anything to do with it until Luna's safe" I told her. She nodded as I packed up my stuff and slipped her onto my belt. I left the bubbling slime of ponies and headed back up to the main parts of the castle.

I walked up to the top of the tower I had previously fought the first two assassins on and saw a lot more guards stationed there now. I looked out over the city which looked grand and spectacular beyond anything from my time, the sun just began to set as I saw Luna her sister and Shining Armour walk into a small secluded area of the gardens.

I turned away from the city's beauty and focused on the task at hand. I jumped off the tower and glided with my jet pack down to a tree close by them.

"How on earth did you do that" said Shining Armour, voicing the thoughts of the other two. I clambered down from the tree with my rifle on my back and answered him "a lot of technology in my time is focused on doing things like that, but enough we need to discuss Luna here" I said getting to the point.

"What would you have us do Captain" said Celestia. "My plan is to leave Canterlot with Luna and take her high into the mountains surrounding Ponyville, It will throw future assassins off track and by the time they realise what has happened I will go somewhere else it's just time isn't relative by that I mean it can change like I hope it has changed now, if so then the war, the death, the assassins everything will stop and my mission will be complete" I said dully.

They all looked at me and Shining Armour asked "you want to take the Princess away from all my guards, fortresses and protection"?! "I know it seems mad but yes, these places are too predictable and as was shown earlier an assassin can be hiding anywhere" I replied.

"I don't know if I should leave, I feel like I am betraying my people by leaving which I don't want to do that again..." she replied glumly. I was about to put a hoof on her shoulder and tell her it would be alright but I restrained myself and told her sternly "you are the future of Equestria and are not abandoning your people but saving them instead so I need you to do this". She sighed and looked at her sister who nodded in agreement at my proposal. Shining Armour to say the least was not as pleased and began to stammer over his words of protest which Celestia quickly waved away.

Pleased that they trusted me so I told Luna "pack light and say goodbye to your sister we need to leave immediately". "Why immediately?"Asked Luna. "The more time we spend here the bigger the chance somepony is lurking behind a rose bush or fountain" I told her doing a sweep of the gardens.

Everyone seemed to get edgy at my paranoid view of absolutely everything and it involuntarily spurred them into action. "I will go and pack" announced Luna. She left with Shining Armour accompanying her whilst I was left with Celestia in the dark gardens bathed in the smallest amount of moonlight which peeked above some clouds.

"My sister may have been trapped for over a thousand years but her mind is still young so I warn you now Asimov that if you hurt her... you will wish you had never been born" she said in a steely tone. "I don't need to wish your majesty, I will never hurt Luna as long as I live and breathe you have my word" I said dutifully.

She seemed content with my answer and nodding adopted a happier look as she strode away from me. I sighed and sat down next to the tree I had climbed down from and rubbed my still healing legs.

"This is all messed up Red, I am one pony against possibly hundreds and granted I have many benefits but if the future doesn't change soon then I will be overwhelmed and killed" I said in exasperation. "Well let's hope for the new and pray for the worst" said Red.

"You're right" I said standing up "now is not the time for despair but preparation". I began striding back to the castle but was met by Shining Armour at the entrances. "Greetings Captain Foundation" he said trying really hard to smile at me as he said those words. "I just cleared something with Celestia who agreed that it would be an excellent idea".

I stared blankly at Shining Armour and asked "where is this going"? "Well you see sending two ponies, one a princess and the other a complete nutter off into the wilderness is from many perspectives completely crazy so Celestia let me add some insurance in case you concocted this whole scheme to kidnap the Princess" Shining Armour told me.

I stared at him with a mixture of unbelieving and dumbfounded accusation. "I thought we were really beginning to get along Shining Armour". "That's Captain Shining Armour and it is my job to be paranoid when it comes to the safety of Canterlot and its rulers" he said with passion.

I thought back to my early days in the war and thought this was exactly what I was like, devoted and with distinct purpose which hadn't been worn down yet by years of bloodshed. "So be it Captain, what is this… insurance you speak of"? "Well if you can just follow me to the barracks I'll show you" he said beginning to stride away without asking me to follow him.

I followed him quickly but he didn't have a limp in his leg which meant he wasn't so tired when we arrived at the barracks which I had rarely been in when I was undercover.

Armour and sword lined the walls and a line of about twenty ponies was all that mad up the room apart from me and Shining Armour. They were all strong and gallant looking and almost identical.

"This is insurance, pick at least one of these men, they're all strong and highly skilled warriors which I… handpicked myself" said Shining Armour. I blinked and looked at Shining Armour "you want me to take one of your guards with me so he can watch me"?!

The line seemed to waver slightly and I looked up at them. "Well is that what you were ordered to do then!" I yelled at them in a commanding tone. They seemed to shudder briefly and I looked over at each one of them before yelling "none of you would last a second in a real battle"!

Shining Armour furrowed his brow and called the first on over. "Test him if you like for he won't disappoint" he told me.

I looked up and down at the pony and told him coarsely "grab a sword"! He jogged over to a weapons rack and pulled a shorts word away and came back over. I shouted at him almost immediately "defend yourself"!

His eyes furrowed in confusion as my hoof slammed into his face, knocking his head back and flipping his entire body over. He rolled onto his back and shakily got up and warily held up his sword as if expecting another attack. I wasn't even close; I had simply remained in the same position as before.

He kept edging back in forward on his toes and I watched the other ponies fix their eyes on anything but my own. I looked back to the fight a said "you know the best defence is attack". He leapt tame in attempt to catch me off guard but I simply sidestepped and pushed him into the ground using his momentum.

He collapsed and a snigger erupted from somepony in the line and I looked up to see a very scared looking pony trying to cover up his mistake.

I looked down at the guard pony who was still trying to get up and told him "that's enough thank you; please return to your ranks". He seemed very relieved and much shaken by my order and still kept his eyes on me all the way back to the line.

"You, I pointed to the pony who had laughed at the other pony "go and get a crossbow off the wall"! At this he seemed to relax and Shining Armour smirked "that there is Jerald, the best marksman in the entire guard. At this I huffed and strode over by him and also picked a crossbow from the wall.

I strode to the corner of the room and told him to stand opposite me in the other corner. I felt the eyes of every pony in the room on us and Jerald seemed to be losing confidence as I stood there in complete silence and just looked at him with the most menacing expression I could muster. He seemed to hold my gaze for a few moments but I quickly broke him however and he looked away in defeat at our stare contest.

"Well done" I said loudly so that it echoed around the room. Everypony looked up in astonishment as I began to clap and they all seemed to be genuinely pleased for him as he strode towards me in giddy shock some patting him on the back as he went.

I acted cheerful and held out my hoof in congratulations as if he had passed some hidden test. He took it and I began my real test. "You have about ten seconds before I shoot you so before then you need to shoot me" I whispered in his ear. He looked at me questioningly, unable to see my leg as it kicked his crossbow across the room whilst I crushed his hoof with mine. His reaction was a mixture of shock, confusion and from what I could detect fear….

"10…9…8" I started to count aloud as he attempted to free his hand from my iron grip which was really getting close to crushing his bones. "7…6…5…4" I continued raising my own crossbow and pushing it against his head just before he finally pulled his boo from mine and began furtively scrambling backwards for his crossbow. "3…2" I counted pointing my crossbow straight at him just as he reached his and raised it upwards. "1" I whispered as he pulled the trigger and the crossbow jumped forwards as a bolt was unleashed at stunning speeds for a primitive weapon and travelled for about two seconds before it smashed through a nearby window.

I looked at the window and then at the pony lying on the floor panting in fear. I looked at him and raised my crossbow, I aimed and fired. The bolt sliced about half a millimetre across his cheek causing a slight amount of blood to flow from the wound.

Jerald wasn't taking this all well and he cried out as if he'd been mortally injured and fainted. "Good job with the scare technique" said Red as I strode towards Shining Armour whose mouth was hanging open in sheer astonishment the rest of the guards seemed to also be in a state of shock but took it a lot worse than Shining Armour.

Some of them also fainted but in general a lot of them began to edge further away from me even though i was on the other side of the room which suited me fine.

"I think I've made my point Captain" I said as I picked up my rifle and began to stroll out of the barracks. "Not so fast Asimov" said Shining Armour sternly. "The princess demands that you pick one of these ponies and I don't think that you want an argument just before you set out so pick a pony in this room to go with you and we can all go back to our lives".

I sighed and prepared for some good old verbal combat when a side door opened and in stepped the perfect pony for the job.

**OK**** so I looked at reviews and the one with take shoot and take sample seemed good so I used it...yeah...**


	20. Finally Can We Go

**Finally Can We Go**

I watched as Chad stepped sadly through the door with drooping shoulders and carrying a box of what looked like desk supplies and knick-Knacks. "Him" I yelled quickly stepping away from Shining Armour and going over to Chad who seemed to shrink away in fear as I put an arm around him. I want this... absolutely... brilliant, well not brilliant pony but umm I want Chad to come along" I choked out trying not to show emotion in the terribly constructed lie.

Shining Amour stared at me dumbfounded. "You want Chad, the worst pony on the guard to help protecting the Princess"? "Yes I do actually" I said. Chad was looking really confused and dizzy at everything and I worried that he was going to pass out... again. "I'm not even on the watch anymore" he said in a dull haze as he began hyper ventilating.

Shining Armour of course leapt at this fault stating "exactly this is why Chad cannot go; besides it would be a stupid choice". I looked at Chad and saw to be honest a weak willed, no backbone and general feeble pony that should really serve drinks or mend clothes like most Earth ponies get the lame jobs. However something was nagging at the back of my mind, the fact that a weak pony wouldn't surprise me with a knife in the back and his cutie mark which showed what looked a compass surrounded by the sun which was a symbol or something that was important in my time but I couldn't quite put my hoof on it.

"You said anypony in the room and I choose Chad here so if our don't like take it up with one of the Princesses" I told him as I gave Chad a hefty smack on the back which woke him out of his daze and brought him back to reality.

"But I don't..." began Chad but I cut him off before he could say something that might cause him to either pass out or in some way scare him away. "Chad shut up and I'll make it worth your while" I whispered in his ear whilst Shining Armour was waving out his men. Chad sobered up from his fearful and giddy state and nodded slowly but stopped as Shining Armour came over with a very large, unhappy mean face and stared at me and then at Chad with extremely furious eyes.

"Go and suit up for a long journey now Chad" he said dangerously low. Chad quickly wriggled away from us at astonishing speed for a dazed pony and ran off. Shining Armour looked at me now with slits for eyes. "You show up with wacky explanations, impossible technologies and insult and humiliate my men with pathetic tests!" he said putting a hoof on my chest and poking me. "To be honest Celestia was who I swore to protect when I took my oath but Luna is Celestia's sister which equally extends to her and they may buy your story of protecting her and saving the future of all ponykind but there is darkness in you somewhere and secrets in such plenty that you could fill rooms full of them, when these things are shown you will get what you deserve" he said giving me one last poke and striding away and out the door with the rest of his men.

I followed him with my eyes as he left and for a short while I though on what he had said before Red piped up "he's just a bit paranoid, a lot like you actually at times". I rubbed my eyes and tiredly walked through the other door and back out into the hallway. "I'm going to go to the kitchens and get fresh supplies then finally the throne room and set off" I told Red.  
"Well it's about time to" she huffed.

I put down a riding smile as I strolled towards the kitchen trying very hard to keep these confusing emotions at bay. It was so easy before to be emotionless but once experienced with them it's almost impossible to not want to give into them.

I shook these emotional thoughts from my head as the kitchens appeared and I quickly entered. I grabbed a sack and filled it with lots of vegetables and fruit (much to the head chef's annoyance) and quickly left, heading for the main throne room as quickly as possible.

My legs still to felt sore but I brushed away my annoyance and quickly pushed the doors open to see the room deserted save for Luna who was waiting in the dark room which was usually vibrant and lit with full lighting. "Asimov" said Luna seeming to brighten for a moment before she settled back into a neutral expression as I quickly walked up to them both.

"Ok everything is done and tied down here, Shining Armour mentioned taking a guard along for the trip as well?" asked Luna. I looked at her bright eyes and answered "I was unhappy about it but I picked the finest soldier in Equestria". Luna looked down at me (well she was still taller than be slightly) "besides yourself"? "Besides myself" I responded failing to hold in a chuckle. This brought a slight smile to her face which faded as a large clatter could be heard behind us and Chad was sprawled on the floor with his armour stuck in the long red carpet which led up to the thrones.

"Err… sorry" he apologised in a voice similar to the yellow and pink haired Pegasus I remembered from nearly a month ago. Chad quickly untangled himself and clanked over in his golden armour to our little group who for the most part were staring in shock at both him and me.

"You chose…" began Luna but I beat her to the end interjecting "the finest warrior in Equestria". Princess Celestia looked at me and stated "I have a nephew who cuts himself with a butter knife who could do a better job at protecting Luna than Chad here… no offence Chad". Chad looked down at his feat at being called the worst guard in the world. I looked at him and back at Celestia "by the time I'm finished with him his skills will be compared to Shining Armour".

From Celestia's expression I could tell she doubted that hey highly but nodded in a silent acceptance of my judgement.

"Ok make your last goodbyes now as I warn you we may be gone for many months, try maintains the image that Luna is still here" I said knowing it wouldn't do much good if a trained assassin came along.

Luna suddenly glazed over in tears and hugged Celestia as if she'd never see her again saying "oh Tia please stay safe until I return". "I will sister but your safety is more important… I don't want to lose you again" she said as silent fears streamed down her face.

Chad seemed to start sniffling as well which made me roll my eyes as I turned to him and gave him the bag full of food stating "eat any and I'll cut you open and get it back"!

Chad turned white and his eyes opened as wide as dinner plates at my threat which I wasn't really serious about but he quickly turned to the two Princesses' and respectively found the strength to how as his mouth seemed to be glued shut in fear.

Luna looked up at me and said "ready" to which I nodded back and reassured her with a warm smile before I could stop myself. She smiled back but I could tell it was half hearted and sad.

"Asimov" said Celestia. I looked back respectfully but impatient to be on the way. "Yes you highness"? "I impart to you a gift so that you may be known as something that has not been in the courts for centuries". I actually turned around now and looked at her now curiosity taking hold of me.

"This" she said, pulling a large piece of wavy and silk like cloth from one side of the room with her magic and moving it over until it plopped down into my hands. "This is the cloak of champions, it is century's old and protected by many spells now unknown to even me, but it should be about indestructible to anything common like fire or blades".

I unfurled the cloak and saw the Equestrian coat of arms covering it with a dark blue background. "But why" I asked in confusion. "You have fought bravely in protection of your rulers so we have given you the title of out champion which is by all accounts a great honour" said Luna in a very royal accent.

I took off my backpack and tied the cloak around my neck, pulling the coal down over my face which cast it mostly in shadow. "How do I look?" I asked. "Like a really tired pony" blurted out Chad and as I looked in as nearby mirror I could see that my recent lack of sleep was indeed starting to show, making me look really tired with bags under my eyes and very thin red tendrils covering the milky whiteness of both eyes.

"Yes we'll we all don't have the luxury if sleep Chad, now fall in behind Luna" I ordered to which he hastily replied. "Thank you both I now shall open up the hidden passage behind both thrones and we shall sneak out of Canterlot through the old sewage system" I announced strolling over to the thrones and pressing be hidden panels underneath them in order.

Celestia looked puzzled as she said "I don't even remember putting those in there". "I think it was around 900 or so sister" said Luna as she and Chad stepped closer to me. I stepped back to them and watched as the thrones moved back to expose a small metal slide which would lead into the sewage systems.

"What is it with you and sewers?" asked Luna. "Yes they do seem to be popping up a lot more often don't they" I chuckled as I started to climb down the ladder.

Luna and then Chad followed after and Celestia gave on last goodbye before the panel closed shit again and plunged alums all into darkness.

I don't know If Luna squeaked or Chad squeaked but I'd guess it was likely Chad. "Ok down this large pipe" I said telling them also to walk quickly.

"Finally" sighed Red as we descended upon the first leg of our journey.

"Oh hooray, medieval toxic waste… joy" remarked Luna as she stepped down from the ladder and felt squelching slime around her feet. Chad didn't do so well and when the sewer plunged into darkness he fell off the ladder face first into the slime.

I quickly hauled him out in case he'd passed out again but he just seemed to be on the verge of tears at his treatment today. "Chad if you lose it here I swear!" I threatened him quietly so Luna couldn't hear. He brushed himself down and just closed his eyes tight.

Suddenly the passageway was filled with bright blue light as Luna lit the passageway with her magic. "So where are we going now" she said with a nice smile on her face. I stared at her for a few minutes before shaking my head and responding "north, we head north for a couple of mile until we emerge in a buried dunker in the Everfree forest". "I think I remember it now, it was installed just as me and my sister came to power" said Luna.

I nodded as I walked down the small pipe and sewer system and asked "was it supposed to be an escape route in case Canterlot ever came under attack"? "Yes but we only needed it once a long time ago and it was just a small rebellion which only made it as far as the castle gates" explained Luna.

I listened intently, unknowingly clinging to every word she said. "Are we there yet" asked Chad in a very quiet voice and still looking a bit shaky. I looked him up and down and thought about shouting at him, but thought it not worth the hassle and answered "not far just about twenty more minutes marching pace". Chad seemed disappointed but kept it to himself which was good as I wasn't feeling like shouting at him again even though he (as was the rest of the Royal Guard) was a complete disgrace which was how I liked it for reasons I was about to reveal before a large problem came up.

"There's a cave in on this side" said Luna. I looked up, temporarily forgetting Chad. "Red if you please" I said. "Already done, it's about four metres thick but the stone is limestone so if we can just" she was cut-off as a surge of energy suddenly whammed into the blockage and the stones were completely totalled and smashed into fine granules. I looked back to see Luna coughing and shaking weak at the legs her horn glowing bright blue.

"Luna did you just do that?" I questioned her. She tiredly looked up at me and regained her composure "one must help in anyway one can"! "It's fantastic and saves lots of time but I would prefer it if you keep the magic minimal in case it comes to a real fight or we need to move fast".

Luna looked slightly trodden on and I couldn't help but make her feel a little better. "You also need to watch Chad, you nearly gave him a heart attack" which was kind of true, Chad was lying on his back completely stiff literally frozen in fear.

"Come on buddy" I said trying to sound friendly whilst mentally smacking myself at being nice to a pony I wanted to toughen up a hell of a lot more.

Chad looked at me fearfully and I saw in his eyes that he was generally afraid of everything. From Luna to the darkness but especially as I looked into his eyes... afraid of me. I thought back to all the training courses I'd gone through as had other ponies and they knew nothing but orders and war. But I had to be different if I wanted to toughen Chad who had know friendship and happiness his whole life... at least I thinks so anyway.

"Listen, just pull yourself together, you'll be ok alright" I told him, giving him a pat on the back. "That was very kind of you" remarked Luna as we started to walk again."Yes very... nice" said Red in a huff. I frowned hoping she could detect the shut up look I was displaying on my face.

We kept walking on in silence now, listening to the eerie sounds the old sewage tunnel seemed to give out. I looked down at my hooves and saw my newly added cape was getting dirty at the bottom and asked Luna "this thing can survive fires and other attacks yet can get dirty"? "Well maybe the enchanter didn't think about it when they cast the spell on it" she said in a huff similar to the one Red had displayed earlier. I blinked and asked "who enchanted it"? Luna looked across me with intense starry eyes, "I did".

It was my turn to stumble and I nearly lose my footing. "What"? "One thousand years ago or so I came up with the idea that a villager from every single village should be taken and pitted against each other in a two day battle royals and the three ponies who came out best would be trained and then fight to the death for the title of champion" she finished sounding a little nervous.

I looked at her and asked "you put ponies against each other to declare the champion"? She looked around nervously and stated "now it was a long… really long time ago and the world was still quite feral…"."Say no more your majesty, it is alright I come from a time of equal bloodshed to the rituals that may have gone on in your time" I told her.

She seemed relieved that she wasn't being judged but I still disliked the fact even though I perfectly understood the reason why it was done.

Suddenly I heard a large noise and I looked down and saw something startlingly horrific. "Chad, Luna hold up and turn around immediately" I said sternly as I stood on my back legs and put my hooves up to stop them from looking or going further.

Chad did as instructed but Luna had to be pushed in order to move. "But Asimov" she protested. "No buts Princess please turn around now" I told her. "I command you to let me see the problem" she ordered. "It is not for anypony to see" I said trying to hold her surprising strength back.

Suddenly I was lifted off my feet by Luna's darned handy magic (which she had promised five minutes ago to use sparingly) and Luna stepped forward with her mouth hanging open at what she saw.

Three ponies… at least that's what they might have looked like we're all mashed together in a bloody blob of dried blood and had expressions of extreme pain on their mismatched faces.

Luna looked on in horror at the ghastly scene and I sighed as she turned away with tears springing forth as she sobbed softly with her head facing away.

She put me down and I was about to go over and comfort her when suddenly Red said "Asimov take care of this". I looked at Luna and knew Red was sending me a message here telling me to stop feeling and get back to work for both my sanitise sake and the missions. However looking over at Luna I was heart torn at watching her cry and realised that even though she may have seen things before like this it didn't make it any easier for her.

"Ok" I said "I'll"….

**Take a damn break, phew I mean come on boyo how about a seat and a nice dandelion sandwich…? …No… Oh well more for me. You know the drill…(at least the ones who regularly review do, just saying more people could review make the vote faster and more interesting here) just pick an option here.**

Does he:  
Console  
Clear mess without a second glance


	21. Darkness Comfort

**Darkness Comfort  
**

"I'll do what's right" I said, moving away from the dead corpses and going over to Luna who seemed to collapse as I put my hooves around her. It was not something I ever excepted to be doing yet here I was, holding a sobbing Princess in the middle of a collection of underground sewage centuries from my own time and I couldn't help but blush all thanks to my new damn emotions which seemed to make me so angry that I just wanted to kick the shit out of something.

However standing there with my arms around Luna was something that just cooled my heart and made all my cares in the world go away except for the one which was most important and foremost... to protect her no matter the cost.

"Asimov" said Red. "Deactivate!" I said harshly and she went away but it was enough to shatter the tranquillity bubble and I realise Luna was making a lot of noise so said softly "Luna please listen to me".

She didn't respond and I repeated the question this time shaking her a bit. "Listen Luna you and no other pony should see the horrors of my world but you have to be strong for me now and walk past it and never look back, please help me on this one" I asked with a slight pleading voice.

She looked up at me and I saw red rims around her beautiful blue eyes which blinked gratitude at me before I pulled away to look at Char who was still looking away but now trembling in fear.

"Luna, grab Chad and lead him, over the mess" I told her. She grabbed Chad whose eyes were still closed tightly as his fragile mind made up terrifying images within.

I looked down a yet another twisted wreck of sewn together muscle and misplaced limbs. The smell in the sewer was fowl but they gave off rotting flesh smell.

"Red take a note entry" I asked. She came back online not saying a word about my previous emotional outbreak.

"Recording" she said and I began to talk. "Three ponies discovered underneath Canterlot in abandoned medieval sewage tunnels, by state of decay they cannot have been here for more than a few days."Cause of death time mutilation" I said choking on the last word and wondering that this might have been me. "Beginning my search for any items of importance" I said as I kneeled down and looked at the poor little ponies.

I scanned all over but couldn't find any insignia on their bodies apart from what looked like a toolbox which had merged with their bodies about in the centre. "Beginning extraction of toolbox from the…" I looked hard trying to determine what part of the body I was removing it from. "The back or chest area" I settled for and began cutting it out with my knife.

Due to the fact that the tissue was far dense due to three ponies being stuck together and their muscles fusing with each others.

As pitied the box free maggots fell out of the opening and I struggled not to throw up as I stared into the fleshy hole of pure flesh and fat maggots.

"Asimov Luna and Chad are probably getting close to be end now" warned Red. I picked up the pace and quickly pried open the toolbox which was slightly damaged already due to the time shift.

Unopened it and saw the small contents inside. "One light wave wrench which use magnetic force controlled over one point to remove the largest of bolts, a high powered small laser but with no charge and last but not least a small portable soldering iron similarly not charged.

"I told the recording what I had found before packing up all my stuff and pulling a small grenade from my pouch."Asimov you're not going to waste that on these ponies are you"? "I'm not leaving them like this and I have no time to build a fire" I said as I twisted the head to go off in 45 seconds.

I looked down once more before I double timed it out of there as quickly as possible, galloping flat out with my rifle slung next to my backpack.

I saw Luna up ahead and just as I caught her up a large boom echoed though the caves and rocked the ground we stood on. A large orange and blue flame erupted further down the tunnel before quickly dissipating.

I had jumped on both Luna and Chad as it had erupted in case any flying debris came this way. None came however and I remarked "they built this place to last".

Luna and Chad got up Chad looking like his sanity was hanging by a thread and Luna in a state I shock. "What just happened" she asked.

I looked down at the ground before I shouldered my pack and answered. "A merciful burial" before walking off with them confused and scared.

We didn't need to walk long as we came upon the safe room/sewage connection plant fairly quickly. It was a large room with swords and rusty weapons on racks in one corner away from the main sewage tunnel. A ladder led up to the surface and away from the cramped oppression of the drains we'd been walking through for nearly an hour.

I went first to make sure the ladder was firm enough to take our weight and started climbing up it to check the surface. The exit was buried under some undergrowth but I pushed through it easily enough and emerged into the daylight clearing of the Everfree forest never so happy in all my life to see the light of dawn.

Luna started ascending the steps now and the ladder pulled off its hinges slightly. "Err Luna you might need to hurry it up, I don't think that the ladder can take your weight" I warned her.

She looked up just a few feet from the exit and said outrageously "are you calling me fat"! I looked at her trying to detect if this was a joke or not before the ladder nearly gave away entirely. It wasn't a joke and I took it upon myself as a time to do some serious apologising for something I didn't actually do.

"Your highness I was simply stating that the ladder had gotten weaker and was only concerned for your safety"!  
Luna still frowned as she pulled herself up from the ladder ignoring my hoof of help.

Chad took longer however, being weighed down by the sack of supplies and his heavy equipment and armour and as he stepped off of the ladder it completely broke away and fell back into the pit. "Looks like we aren't going back that way" said Luna.

I gathered everyone around in a huddle by a large free and held up a map for them to see. "Ok" I began "this here is the Everfree forest which we are in the heart of at the moment". "We need to go west near Ponyville and then slowly make our way through a smaller quieter part of the forest until we get to the mountains, then we climb them until we reach the top where we shall camp for a few days".

"What about all the assassins?" asked Luna. "Well hopefully none will turn up but they could just be waiting to ambush us in Canterlot so I wish to wait some months before doing anything else involving Canterlot".

"What if they find us" asked Chad fearfully. I looked at him surprised that he put in his input but glad all the same. "We kill them of course" I said perhaps a little too coldly for comfort as everybody immidielty went quiet.

I looked at everyone before rolling up the map. "We'll rest and prep once we reach the safety of the mountains but until then everyone be on your guard, there are a few things I found in this forest which will give anypony nightmares".

So our little troupe set off with me at the lead and Luna tucked safely in the middle and Chad protecting behind. An hour into the walk I looked behind us at Chad whose head was down, virtually on the ground. I stopped for a second and Luna stopped at the same time, however Chad kept walking eventually bumping into Luna.

Before he could apologise I walked up behind him and pulled him up by his plate armour until I was holding him up. "You want to know some advice Chad?" I asked him rhetorically. He shook his head before he could help himself and I dropped him, he fell onto his rump and stared up shocked at me as I pointed out "Now you have been trained to be a guard, not a very good guard to say the least but anyway at least the guards back in Canterlot hold their heads up high in confidence" I stared at him and he tried avoiding my gaze but I caught him out and said quietly "look at me".

He warily kept his eyes fixed on mine and I began to go into a monologue "Now holding your head up high and showing your enemy that you have an unwavering gaze is important, also the ground is not where enemies are going to sprout from... most of the time".

Luna seemed to look on in fascination as I lectured Chad. "Stand up" I told him. He stood up with hunched shoulders and his head drooping down nearly touching the floor. I strolled over to him and held his chin up forcefully until it was my height and stared intensely at him. "Defeat the enemies gaze and you win half the battle, look at me and keep your mind clear and your gazes unwavering do not despair or think of the ways in which I could kill you but instead assess me".

"I am your ally but pretend I am an assassin, your wavering now before me which indicates you are weak which means I could strike and kill you without a though, however if you can bluff your enemy into being a well trained killer it can give you valuable seconds to think of a strategy".

Chad seemed to be getting the hang of this now and he straightened up and held his head up without my help. "Good" I told him encouragingly "Now copy my gaze and don't give away any emotions but keep your brain moving, don't show any signs like blinking or shaking or else I will kill you" I said in cold tones now stepping away from him and looking at him with an intense gaze.

Chad first looked at Luna before he began to hold my gaze. He did well with his posture and his eyes barley fluttered once in the minute that I was testing him.

"Good Chad" I said giving him a slap on the back, now you practice that death stare and you'll be knocking heads together within a week" I said going back over to the head of the group.

"Oh and keep checking behind you every couple of minutes and check well" I advised him to which he nodded with his head high. "Yes sir" he said in a voice not as quiet as before but still pretty disappointing,

we continued to walk on through the forest in a companionable silence that was much better than the stale silence previous. I was pleased to see that Chad was finally acting a bit more like he knew what he was doing but he was still way under qualified for any protection for the Princess, but it felt good to have finally made progress with him.

"So what happened?" asked Luna. "What" I asked confused. "To those ponies back in the tunnel how... how did they get... mutilated like that"? I looked back at her and wondered how I could explain this.

"I don't think". "Please Asimov" she begged me. I looked back at her once more and her eyes still seemed slightly puffy from the crying hours ago. "Well ok but if it's not nice" I warned her, "Most likely the ponies were not assassins but engineers judging by their lack of uniform and the tools which were futuristic also confirming that they are from my time".

"The most likely explanation is that they were forced into the time portal or whatever you'd call it where there particles kind of fused together which explains why they are deformed".

Luna looked confused and asked "what are particles"? "Umm they are... little tiny bits which make up who you are" was the simplest explanation I could come up with. "Anyway they may have died immidielty if their bodies fused into the heart or brain but it's more likely they suffered hours of pain".

I thought I t would affect Luna a lot more but she just seemed to take it in her stride and give off an array of "I don't want to talk about it".

So we kept walking west through the thick and lush forests making good progress although I'd prefer a marching speed to a walk but I guessed I couldn't have it all.

The day quickly began to darken, something that Luna began to notice as she kept glancing up at it until eventually she asked "Asimov we need to find a clear space to stop so Incan raise the moon".

I looked around before spotting a small clear patch to the right of where we were. I pointed over to the patch with my hoof and we all went over and in Chad's case collapsed onto a fallen tree.

"Will the raising of the moon take very long?" I asked curiously despite the fact that we had broken stride. "Oh no in fact the sun has almost completely set so I guess I can raise it now and we'll be off in five minutes if I skip the stars" she told me.

Chad looked over finally recovering from his exhaustion now too curious. "I've seen Princess Celestia raise the sun but I never thought I'd see you raise the moon".

Luna nodded a little and explained "it is not a whole lot different from how Celestia does it, minus the fact that she has had 1000 years more practice than me".

I sat on my haunches and folded my arms; this was going to be good. Luna walked slowly into the centre of the wide area as we both me and Chad looked on in fascination right now spellbound as she slowly began to flap her wings and rise into the sky.

The sky appeared to darken now as her wing beats increased and suddenly she shot up into the sky like a pulse had been let off from my rifle and the moon rose in perfect unison with her casting her into a perfect silhouette.

She slowly began to flap down, her eyes closed now and her mane flowing very fast. This reminded me to ask her why it flowed like that after I checked up on her.

She landed and I got up and trotted over to her. She opened her eyes and looked directly into mine. Instead of being starry blue they were pure white and now I realised her teeth were held into a snarl and suddenly in a loud tone she shouted "You said you would be back for me but you lied"! I blinked and reached for my rifle but instantly dark magic wrapped around my body and threw away my equipment. It stretched my limbs to the limit and info as if I was being torn in half as I watched Luna kill me….

I opened my eyes and gasped as I collapsed into Luna's outstretched hooves, gasping as I looked up into her face I quickly pulled away and pulled out my sidearm, levelling it at her head.

"Asimov what are you…" she asked before I stopped her by yelling "what the fuck did you just do"! She looked frantically between me and Chad who was also on his feet with his eyes flitting between me and Red.

"Captain Put down the gun!" said Red forcibly which I ignored asking her "didn't you just see that"? "See what" asked everyone. "You finished raising the moon and attacked me, looking like you wanted to bite my head off" I accused Luna. Everyone looked at me and I realised that this was either reality or dream but Luna confirmed my suspicions when she said "you came over to me looked woozy and fell into my outstretched hooves".

I lowered my gun and realised my rifle was still on my back and that I and Luna were completely fine. "Perhaps it's just stress from the past few days" suggested Red, offering an answer which I took thankfully.

"Red is right, I'm awfully sorry Luna I didn't mean to do that I just have been under a lot of stress lately". She seemed a little hurt that I had pointed my weapon of mass destruction at her but she forgave me saying "it's okay… just a bit of a shock that's all".

Chad was also having a rough time and he was thankful for it to be over since he really had no idea what to do in a situation like that… yet.

I looked around at everyone who was still a little shaken and told them "ok since it's dark now anyway we are going to camp here, I will set some sensors and detectors and Chad will build a fire" I said. However Luna had quickly caught on and using magic she gathered loose pieces of wood together and pled them all using levitation the. By magic she lit it, completing a task that would take me ten minutes in under one.

I seemed to be staring at her without realising it and she was also staring bam at me except not in a full haze but a questioning stare, eventually turning in a "what"?

I blinked looking up and saying "err keep the magic to a minimum ok". "Ok she said nestling down by the fire she had just made as ingot up and threw a couple of sensors down around us before nestling down and announcing "I shall take first watch and wake Chad up when it's time to switch". Chad nodded and nestled down to sleep, instantly going out like a light and snoring in moments.

Luna however tested on her side and looked at me through the flames of the fire. "Thank you" she said to me finally closing her eyes.

I looked over at her and asked "what for" but she was already asleep.

I stayed up for hours, just staring into the flames, knowing it useless to keep lookout but keeping my ears sharp for the flap of wings or the tiny wine of magic that might catch on the air.

There was none, and after hours Red popped up and asked in a furiously hushed whisper "what the hell do you think you are doing"!?

I set her down and a tiny image of her stood up and started pacing. "What do you mean?" I asked confused. "Asimov, you made a pact to me and to yourself and not even to mention the U.E.R to remain emotionless so as not to complicate things but also due to the secondary personality you told me you were developing and what do you do… you only go and give the princess a big hug and nearly blow her head off hours later"!

I got angry now and whispered back "I am perfectly fine, I can control my emotion Red they can't win and as for the mishap with Luna and me pointing a gun at her hear that was due to stress like you said" I responded believing the lie Red had concocted for me.

"Asimov, I can only advise but I advise you to stop this emotional nonsense and focus on the mission"! I looked at Red and said "well I have advice for you, why don't you run a full diagnostic and file some reports and get back to me in the morning".

She looked at me angry before pointing at me and saying "you will regret your decisions" and with that she shut off leaving me in silence apart from the fire which occasionally spluttered and popped.

So I stayed there for the entire night in silence with only the darkness of both my thoughts and the night to comfort me.

**OMG only a few days now!… (Silent scream)**

…Yay


	22. Travelling Worries

**Travelling Worries**

_"Captain Foundation, the U.A has breached the northeast wall and is storming the city!" cried corporal Maverick saluting as he hastily ran up to me. "Damn it that was our strongest point, if the fall in that sector then out entire east section defenders will be attacked in the flank" said a nearby private. "What do we do?" asked the Corporal._

_"Go gather five men and wait for me over by the main square, the last thing they except is an attack in the flank themselves and that's exactly what we're gonna do" I said, jamming a magazine crystal into my rifle. "Sir that's suicide!" cried the Corporal splaying his hooves apart in protest to my authority._

_"That's enough Corporal, I'm signing you up for a breach of orders, now get your ass moving and go find some ponies"! Maverick looked shocked at my punishment issue but saluted and sprinted off to gather some troops. I myself stood up on the top of a toppled pony transporter which some mechanics were working on and looked over the fields at the wreck and rubble of used to be Trottingham..._

I opened my eyes; coming back to the real world and realising I had drifted into a small nap which annoyed me immensely. I looked over at Luna who was smiling quite cutely in her sleep and then Chad who was snoring with his mouth wide open and drooling immensely. I actually caught sight of a fly buzz around his head for a minute before it entered the deep, slimy cavern of his mouth and disappeared. I sniffed and looked the other way trying not to focus on the fact that Chad could have been snuck up on without much practice and easily stabbed to death.

"That kid is going to need a lot of training" I said softly. Luna stirred slightly and I looked over at her, taking in everything about her. She seemed to be having a dream because her eyelashes fluttered intensely and her face contorted into a frown.

I wondered back to my dream and I shuddered at the intense replay as if I had actually been there again. It was a painful memory and I dislike memories since about 85 percent is filled with battles and fallen comrades and emotions which I don't want coming up.

I thought to the argument me and Red had had yesterday, it must be stress doing this I mean I am a damn soldier of one of the most technologically advanced armies in the world I don't get sick or develop physiological problems that threatened my mission, this was just built up stress and my mind adapting to a friendlier, softer environment not some nutty part of myself wanting to come out and raze Equestria to the ground.

Suddenly Luna's eyes fluttered open and blurrily looked at me. "Is it morning yet" she asked. "Yes Luna it's been morning for hours" I replied. She stretched and took in her surroundings looking at both me and the still sprawled out Chad. "Did you stay awake all night!" she exclaimed.

I nodded an affirmative at her and she blinked with her eyes wide open "careful not fall asleep while walking today" she said. "No problem your majesty we will change our pace to marching I teased getting up and handing her an apple which she began to eat vigorously.

She seemed relatively happy but images in my mind blinked back to yesterday when I drew my gun on her and she stood there frozen like a rabbit in the headlights of a Airlifter Pony Transport or an A.P.T. "Listen Luna about yesterday" I began but she interrupted me saying "No Asimov it's okay everyone get's stressed and you certainly have an excuse".

"That's not what I want to talk to you about, you see I raised my gun at you like this right" I said raising my gun at her slowly so she wouldn't be afraid. "Such a weird word gun, I'd have called it a fire thrower" she remarked looking at my black and silver side arm which I had pointed at her. "Yes well as you have seen this thing can take a limb off a pony quite easily and is used and carried by just about every single pony in the future so I am going to show you an easy trick how to avoid a situation like this" I told her making the gun go slack in my hand and offering it to her.

She took it warily; holding it clumsily in her hands and taking note eat its weight. "Now as you can see the trigger is a little bigger than a crossbow and is pressurized so that a pony doesn't have to bend there hoof which is difficult when firing a crossbow, this saves time and training".

I moved towards her and bent her arms a little moving her hair back over her head which felt soft as silk. Focusing I stood about half a metre away from her saying "Ok raise my gun and please don't push down hard otherwise my journey is over" I said jokingly but Luna didn't see the funniness of it.

"Ok now watch what I do" I said as I slowly put one foot forward and launched into the air grabbing Luna's arm and pushing her hoof outward so that the gun fell from her hoof and got grabbed by my other hoof where I levelled it at Luna's head.

She gasped as she stared down the barrel of my gun and my intense eyes. "You see how easy I could have killed you" I said.

"Asimov, I realise what you're doing but I protest at your manhandling of a royal Princess" scolded Red. "She needs to know how to protect herself Red" I protested. "Yes but can't you just give her the data and she convert it into an action" said Red. "Real world don't work like hat Red, we all should learn instead of he left in the dark expected to figure things out" I said leaning away from Luna and lowering my gun.

"Sorry Luna" I murmured turning away from her and clicking the cartridge out of the pistol. "Perhaps we can try again" said Luna coming over and putting a hoof to my shoulder. I looked up at her, still a little freaked about our differences in size.

"Ok, but this time you need to disarm me with that move got it" I told her immediately getting back into the roll as instructor as Luna paced herself half a metre or so away from me and I raised the gun.

She stared at it for a few seconds, leaning on her tow front feet she prepared to spring but put too much force into the springing part and not enough into the hoof coordination when she was in the air above me and she fell over, belly flopping the ground

"Are you ok" I asked moving to help her up. "I am quite alright, now proceed" she said hastily getting up and back into position.

So we continued like this for a couple of hours, each time Luna failing to take the gun from my grasp but improving immensely no longer falling over and perfecting her leap, her hooves now slowed her down as she tried to tear the gun from my hooves. "What are you to doing" asked Chad suddenly surprising me so I turned round just as Luna snatched her hands forward and took my gun stating "Ha, victory is mine"!

I looked in astonishment at the gun now In Luna's hooves and levelled at my chest. I slowly raised my hooves and said "ok I surrender".

She grinned and gave the gun back to me which I holstered and went over to Chad. Chad never distract me from a winning spree again or I will take food rations from you for a week.

Chad didn't take this threat so lightly and he quickly swallowed the carrot he'd been holding and shouldered his pack.

I looked at him intensely but he seemed to hold my gaze steadily which surprised me. "So you've been practicing then, well here's another tip for crushing the enemies spirit which Canterlot seems to have adopted into their Royal guards… silence, an enemy who has to make assumption on your look can easily be fooled or scared by your look, especially of you have a grenade launcher" I said ending the discussion with a chortle which. Either Luna or Chad got.

"Well it's still pretty early but I want to get a move on as soon as we can, we can arrive at the foot of the mountain if we keep up a steady march, you both know how to march don't you?" I asked them. Chad nodded and stated parades mostly" which raised a typical roll of my eyes whilst Luna said "I marched my followers into battle during the great war which took place on the plains of Celestia" which instead raised a large pool of questions that I now wanted to ask.

Chad also stared at her but she didn't seem to notice, so I ended the awkward few seconds and said "so be it then onwards" shouldering my pack and marching west.

For a long time nopony spoke, not a whisper or a question just marching which really took me back to my good old military days which in reality were only a couple of months back but it seemed as though it was now a lifetime.

Chad continued to look behind him every now and then which brought a faint smile to my lips, Red was very quiet but she was slightly like me minus the mental issues. Always cold and following programming and her AI system programmed emotions competing against her mission priorities and rules.

Luna's eyes seemed-drifting always focused enough to realise where she was but seemingly in some kind of dream world, or memory either way I got the impression she didn't want to be disturbed.

I then looked around at the seemingly repetitive forest, trees and rocks and maybe another type of tree now and then or even better yet a bigger rock!

I shook my head now as I started to develop a headache; I checked my watch and the map still marching and decided we could afford a break since we were all an hour ahead of schedule. "Okay guys let's take a break so we can rest up you're both doing good and I'd like to keep that way so there's a stream nearby we can rest over there" I said leading them away from my original route and to the stream.

They both seemed relieved and took long drafts before I could stop them. I considered shouting at them but I just went over and told them "please in future let me test the water to make sure there are no chemicals or poisons in it".

They both looked at me water still dripping from their mouths. "It's just a natural flowing stream Asimov, no reason to freak out" scoffed Luna. "On the contrary this stream is a perfect weapon, just slip some poison in upstream and bam you are dead" I smacking my two front hooves together violently.

They looked at me a bit ludicrously but kept drinking and, sighing I filled up the canteens.

After a refreshing drink we all went and sat down not quite knowing what to do or say but looking each other up and down and coming up with insane topics like "is that mud on your hooves".

Suddenly I had a brilliant question and decided to ask Luna "why does your mane and tail flow like a river"? She blinked in surprise but seemed happy to answer "Oh well it didn't used to but it changed recently when I returned as ruler of Equestria just like my sister".

Well that opened up more questions than it officially answered. Seeing the look of incomprehension on my face Luna further took it upon herself to explain to me "Some kind of magic affects the manes of the rulers of Equestria, their manes are blessed by some ancient magic or something that I can't quite remember but think I should" she said now adopting a look that many ponies with what I call battle amnesia get.

"I thought that was just because you used Celestia's shampoo" stated Chad. We both looked at him with a "You are going to shut up now" look and he shrank slightly. However Luna couldn't maintain the look and quickly burst into laughter followed closely by me to my surprise even though I hadn't quite got the hang of a laugh and it came out as a dull chuckle.

So we began to get to know each other a bit more, which was mostly one sided questions directed towards Luna about little things like her sister and the moon, however a question popped up from Luna directed towards me which startled me to say the least.

"Why do you cut your mane so short?" she asked. I unconsciously looked up as if I could see my mane but I realised I had never really seen it much. "Well in my time as you know the war is no place or fashion and long hair is impractical and easy to grab hold of" I responded.

"So all ponies walk around with their manes cut so short" she said raising an eyebrow. "Yes" I responded not seeing what they were getting at here. "Even mares" said Chad. I looked at the both of them now starting to get a little annoyed at their stupid question. "Yes mares also cut their hair back".

"Hey and I meant to ask you but why is your cutie mark covered y those funny markings" asked Luna out of nowhere. Now the before questions really annoyed me but this just sent me over the top and I immidielty got up shouldered my back announcing "breaks over we're moving out now". "But what about..." began Chad but I cut him off with a loud, terse "NOW"!

Luna now stood up and was about to protest at me her hoof raised and everything when suddenly voices could be heard from the north and everyone froze. "Behind the rock" I whispered quickly and everyone got behind a nearby rock.

The voices seemed to get louder which signalled that they were definitely heading this way which freaked me out slightly". "Maybe they're only some ponies taking a stroll in the forest" whispered Chad. I didn't want to alarm him both for his own well being and for the reason he'd blow our cover.

I checked my rifle and clicked the safety off just as the voices got close enough to hear properly.

"I'm telling you they must be heading for Ponyville it's the place no one would ask questions right" asked a light voice. "Bullshit, Ponyville was like a happy place I mean what would a U.E.R Captain do when he got their open a flower stall" said a gruff voice now entering the conversation.

"Look here private out of the ten ponies in our platoon we were the only ones who made it through so shut your ass and go and refill the canteens, the rest of us will wait here" said a voice that sounded arrogant and young.

"Yes sir Staff Sergeant" said the light voiced pony who then I could hear crashing through the undergrowth to get to the stream.

He uncorked the stoppers of the canteens and began to fill them up, muttering all the while as he did it. I looked from behind the rock and saw his back was turned; he also took off his helmet revealing he was a U.A pony and that he was incredibly stupid.

"Stay here" I whispered so quietly that Luna and Chad could barely hear me. I slowly left the cover of the rock and slung my rifle behind my back, next I drew my combat knife and slowly advanced keeping low and my knees bent.

I was now right next to him and he still didn't know I was here; I quickly reared up and grabbed his mouth whilst my other hand drew the finely sharpened metal blade across his throat. The cried he gave prior to his throat being slit were muffled by my hand. He slowly began to fight less and less against y firm grip until all that remained of his energy was a few gurgling rasps and some small twitching.

I waited no time, quickly taking off the ponies backpack and armour I quickly changed out of mine and into his. Just as I was attaching the helmet I heard the Staff Sergeant Yell "boy hurry up and get your ass back, double time man"!

The helmet was too large and since I didn't have a horn it felt off balance but I strapped it on none the less and picked up the soldiers crude rifle which looked to be nearly fifty year out of date. I saw Luna rising from her hiding place and motioned for her to stay down before moving forwards. I checked the rifle contained an energy crystal and that it was cocked before I blindly tried to guess where the other two U.A ponies were.

"Finally where are you going" came the light ponies voice from the left of me. I looked to the left and saw them both resting under the roots of a large uprooted tree and walked over to them.

"Where's our canteens" asked the Staff Sergeant as he scratched the stubble on his chin. "Right here" I said throwing them high into the air with the stoppers open so that the water flew out. They both were distracted in those few seconds which gave me extra advantage as I raised the dead private unicorn's gun and shot the gruff voiced pony right in the visor which shattered under impact and killed him immidielty.

The Staff Sergeant blinked in surprise still not fully aware of what was occurring until the rifle turned on him and he rose with his gun also.

They both fired at the same time and hit the others gun. They both shattered sending bits of metal everywhere some which stuck in my right fore leg. I recovered however and pulled my sidearm which he had knocked out of my hands with magic before I could do a thing.

He pulled a small crude looking knife from his belt and circled me now with an arrogant look which matched his arrogant voice. "So you're the sole U.E.R genetically modified freak soldier sent to protect the bitch of the moon then". "Maybe you could kill these here saps but believe me after I'm through with you maybe my mission doesn't have to end with a simple shot, how about death by one thousand stab wounds or maybe some strangulation, wither way the night princess is gonna be looking mighty ugly when I'm through with her.

This sent me over the edge and I charged with a roar and this son of a bitch who dared threaten Luna like this. My attack caught him by surprise and he fell as I barrelled into him, his knife nearly getting knocked out of his hoof as it was knocked aside.

We struggled over it, both locked in a battle of wills and strength, the other pony was strong, his very arrogant nature giving him confidence to boot but at the end of the day he was a unicorn, a pony who relied on magic to move things whilst I was an earth pony, maybe I couldn't levitate things or change the weather but I could push hard and that's what I did now.

The knife was twisted around and the deadly point was now facing him with cruel irony. He seemed much panicked and began pushing against my strength extra hard, this only increased the time it took for the knife to be hovering just above his eye.

Suddenly his voice was pleading me "stop I-I'll tell you anything just don't kill me man please"!

I looked down on this pathetic pony and thought, on one hand he could be good information. On the other he threatened Luna and knew that in the end I would have to kill him anyway.

I looked at his eyes which were a dark red and brown and made my decision.

**The Crystal empire was...FUCKIN AWESOME (please pardon language just so enthused)**


	23. Mountain Scamble

**Mountain Scramble**

_"Sir, here are five of the best I could find amongst the lines" said Maverick lined p with them in the courtyard. "They are the remnants of Charlie Company and have been assigned as support units" said Maverick. _

_I looked them all up and down and was not happy with what I saw, malnourished sleep depraved ponies whose armour was dirty, blasted, torn and weapons in no better condition. "They'll have to do" I said finishing my inspection "follow me and get ready to enter a shit storm I said as a gruff voice now perpetrated my ears saying "not inviting your Captain along now are we Chad"._

_I looked up at my comrade in arms who was the closest thing to a brother I and ever had and saluted the big Red and sand coloured hair pony who was cover in muck and held the Captains emblem on his shoulder."Captain Jets I was simply forming together a strike team to defend the attack on the north-east wall". "I see well I'm hurt I wasn't invited lieutenant, now let's go kick some ass" he exclaimed grabbing a shotgun from a nearby dead pony and taking lead of the men Maverick had gathered and me bringing up the rear._

I blinked suddenly and looked into the pony's eyes that were shut in preparation for his upcoming demise. I brought the knife down on the pony and stabbed him right through the ear. He screamed and I cut him off with a right hoof, followed by a left hoof.

So I started hitting him relentlessly, beating the shit out of him until his eye became puffed up and his mouth had no teeth remaining in them. "You threaten Luna like that and that's what you get" I shouted at him as I got off of him and delivered a large kick in the ribcage.

He moaned in pain as I walked over and retrieved my gun and started circling him. "You know how this works; you will die because you are too much of a security risk and because I wouldn't let a piece of shit like you go free anyway but I am a merciful pony and will give you a choice" I stated.

He looked up at me through his one good eye and I pointed my sidearm at him. "Death instantly or I can tie you to a tree and slowly gut you like you deserve"! He looked at me through fearful eyes his spirit truly broken and that croaky voice he had once had spat out "fuck you" even though he regretted in straight afterwards.

"So be it" I said and went over to him, pulling him up by his horn I smashed his two back legs in. He screamed in sheer agony as I tied dome cord to his feet and then began tying him to the tree until he was hanging upside down by his broken legs.

"Now I ask you again, will you co-operate or do I gut you" I said drawing my knife. "Ok I'm sorry ple-please don't kill me I swear I didn't mean to s-say those things about Luna!" he cried out swinging violently to try and get away from my knife.

I looked at his eyes and saw that the battle was won but suddenly they focused which took me by surprise until I figured it out.

I dove to the right as a pulse round smashed into the Staff Sergeant, breaking through his armour and killing him instantly. I saw the gruff pony with his rifle stand and take aim again but didn't give him a chance. I flicked my wrist and sent my knife straight between his eyes for a second time. This time the knife came through the back of his helmet along with his brain.

"God damn it" I shouted frustrated. "You should have killed him" came a voice from behind me and I looked back with my gun raised in surprise to see Luna standing looking at the dead Staff Sergeant hanging from the tree looking like he had been torn to pieces by a pack of vultures.

Judging by the disgusted look on Luna's face pointed at me she wasn't happy. "I thought you were a moral pony who had honour, but you're no better than all the assassins trying to kill me". "Your just another sick minded soldier who will stop at nothing to carry out a mission, why I bet if you were ordered to you'd skin me alive!" she shouted, turning away and running off.

"Luna wait" I cried preparing to go after her trying to think of anything to get her to stop and comeback. "Let her go" said Red "she won't go far and her trust in you has just been shattered, in fact I don't think she will want to ever talk to you again" said Red not even the satisfaction seeping from her voice.

I began to walk back and forward agitatedly trying to think of something to do before I vented my frustration on a nearby tree, punching it until both it and my hand were messed up pretty bad. I then slowly slid down with my back supported against the tree trying to not let my emotions spill over and descend into a sobbing wreck.

Her words echoed in my head how she looked upon me as a monster, someone who killed relentlessly and did whatever it took to get what they needed. I didn't descend into a sobbing wreck but tears did spill over my eyes as I stood up and began to collect important things from the U.A soldiers.

I recorded all this as I worked, first dragging their bodies and packs back to the river with extreme effort. Luna wasn't there but Chad was. I looked over at him ludicrously; he was still hiding behind the same rock I'd told him to hide behind half an hour ago.

"You've been here all this time?" I said. He looked up from the rock and shrugged stating "you told me to stay here and well... that's what I did" he said to his defence. Since he technically had followed orders I couldn't yell at him so I simply grunted and put the dead unicorns with the other.

"What are you going to do" asked Chad. "Record what items I find from their dead bodies and then burn them" I said as I took off the U.A armour and stacked it to one side. "You should really help me, help you learn how to do this" I told Chad.

He looked a little green and stepped away clearly trying to think of a reason to go. His head suddenly snapped up and he questioned "where's Luna"? I looked down before solemnly saying "she's just gone for a long walk". "But her need protection with her at all times" said Chad. "No she's going to be fine, besides she doesn't want me to be around anymore, in fact I wouldn't blame her if she's flown halfway back to Canterlot by now.

Chad scratched his head in miscomprehension but I simply ordered "get over here and help me!" and he dropped the subject entirely and came over to help me.

"So how do we do this" he said. "First we remove all their armour sets and stack them in one pile, then their weapons and finally their backpacks must be searched" I told him beginning to take the armour off of the Staff Sergeant I had so brutally and foolishly tortured.

"What happened to him" gasped Chad. "I did" I said quietly as I began moving his armour to one side. "Remember to state what you remove and its current state" I told him. "Why" he asked. "So that I can look back on the current recording that's being played if I ever need to" I said "now get on with it"!

So we quickly began setting stuff into their piles, ending up with a large stock of things. Two of the rifles had been destroyed but one of them still remained intact and as I checked over it I saw it was like the one I'd taken from the first unicorn. I found one small sidearm which looked similar to mine and also set that aside.

The armour we found was also mostly wrecked with once more the first unicorns set intact whilst the others had holes in from pulse blasts that had ripped through them.

Finally the backpacks contained supplies such as medical and food which we set to one side and a couple of crude scanners and trackers which were obsolete to the ones I carried but none the less swept to the side.

"Ok we're done here" I said looking at the fine set of armour, weapons and supplies procured from the bodies. I looked over at Chad who despite looking a bit queasy seemed fine and had an idea that he would not like at all.

"Take your armour off" I ordered him. He seemed taken by surprise and wheeled round to face me. "What...why" he questioned with a look of distrust in his eyes. "Just do it and hurry up" I told him. "Sorry man but I'm not into-that" he said backing away and turning red slightly.

I looked at him with a facial expression that was a mixture of anger, embarrassment and outrage. "Listen here you very dumb son of a bitch, I am a violent pony by all means, a terrifying warrior who has a cold heart but I do not want anything to do with...THAT, NOW HURRY UP AND TAKE YOUR ARMOUR OFF"!

He practically jumped out of his armour at my final words and terrified he looked up at me. "Now get dressed into this armour" I told him. He looked at me as if I was insane and had multiple horns growing out of my head. "But a pony died in that armour". "Yes and now it is yours" I told him sternly "now get in the armour before I make you regret it" I said menacingly.

The situation had turned really awkward as Chad began to suit up in a dead pony's armour, it was alien to him and he didn't quite understand the fastenings or buckles so I had to help him get dressed like he was a foal.

Finally he was in and immidielty he began wobbling around because of the unbalanced helmet on his head. I immidielty took it off and through it in the pile saying "It would throw you off balance anyway".

Next I began to fasten a backpack onto him which he also struggled to understand since he was used to a saddlebag. "Why is it on your back like that" he asked. "Well after the war started they found that saddle bags unbalanced the holder so placing it dead in the centre of your back is far better for your back support and combat effectiveness" I explained.

He nodded as I explained this, trying not to squirm as I secured the buckles tight. "Okay, now try holding one of these" I told him, handing him the unicorn rifle. He took it and immidielty looked down the barrel. "No!" I shouted pointing it away from him, "Like how I hold mine see" I told him showing him how I held mine.

He tried to mimic me but his posture was all terrible and his hooves looked very clumsy around it. "Err yes like that" I said trying my best to sound convincing. "Now sling it over you back" I told him. He did so and felt odd at the weapons added weight on his back.

Finally I added all the supplies into his backpack and looked him up and down. "You look good kid" I said as I observed what could pass as a soldier back in my time. "Now walk around a bit and get used to the difference, the armour should be lighter than your standard steel armour but your back is probably strained a bit more form the extra weight I said.

"Also take this" I said giving him his final piece of costume "it's a weapons belt, it's where you strap your knife, grenades and sidearm all of which you don't have right now" I told him.

He strapped this onto his lower back and looked at himself in the river, admiring the odd new armour as if he was a colt being given a brand new toy to play with.

"I plan to teach you how to use all the equipment, including your body effectively eventually but for now get used to the weight and the feel of the hardware" I told him.

Suddenly the bushes rustled and Luna came strolling through as if nothing had happened. "Luna please" I began but the look of loathing she gave me quickly silenced my tongue. She looked over at Chad ad furiously looked at me "so you gave him the armour of a pony picked clean, do tell was it the one who's throat you slit or the one who you tied up and tortured" she said outraged.

I looked down at my hooves as she said this and slowly tears began to well up at this again as my damn emotion flared up. "You disgust me with your actions Asimov; you are just a disgusting pony who should have never been born"!

Now I deserved a lot of things but since I found out I'd never had any parents I had been touchy on that subject. I rose up and strode forwards to her angrily, so fast that she actually shrank back slightly. "What of you, did you not once used to torture and kill ponies over the jealousy of the love your sister received whilst you got none, you and I aren't so different Luna we were both monsters but I promise you that I will do my best to never repeat what happened today!" I said looking down on Luna who had her knees bent so low I towered above her.

She began to tear up and I amazingly stopped crying and embraced her in a long hug. "I'm sorry I did that, nopony deserves that to happen to them". "I'm sorry too" she said sniffing "I judged you when I am equally as bad as you".

I arched my eyebrows and she giggled slightly, Chad just seemed to stand there not knowing what to do and feeling awkward.

"Come on Everypony let's get to this mountain, we really are now behind schedule" I told them. "But what of the bodies" asked Chad? I had set them all of a pile of gathered wood and I now told them all to go on and that I'd join them in a little while.

They seemed reluctant but moved off, Luna this time realising that what I had to do was necessary. I lit the fire and watched it burn for a minute, making sure nothing would remain except ashes before I turned away, whispering a soft "sorry" under my breath as I ran to catch up with Luna and Chad.

We all had mixed emotions and expressions for the remainder of our journey through the Everfree Forest. Chad looked elated with his new armour and constantly fiddled with the straps despite being wary at first that it was taken from a corpse. Luna had not a sad expression on her face but a generally depressed aurora around her; the way she walked looked and occasionally talked.

As for me, I was still coming to terms with what I had done in the woods. The rational part of my mind told me that I had done the right thing whilst my new emotional side was telling me that Luna was right and that I was a monster.

I began to develop a headache so decided it was better to stop thinking entirely and focus on marching. We kept moving forwards, only taking a break now and then so that Chad could rest from the new weight on his back.

I was trying to keep my mind from Luna but I kept thinking about how things could have been different and that our friendship could have remained undisturbed. These thoughts vanished however when we reached the edge of the Everfree Forest and came into sight of Ponyville.

"I've always wanted to go to Ponyville" said Chad with a whine in his voice "I hear the mane six live there you know the elements of harmony that-umm..." he stopped not knowing how to proceed. Luna helped him out here stating "it was they whom defeated nightmare moon with friendship yes Chad it's quite alright I'm, different now".

Chad seemed relieved to have gotten out of it but I quickly informed him "we aren't going in, there's too many witnesses and a crazy pink pony in there that has my identity and seems to be able to pop up out of nowhere, plus there is a certain Pegasus who I saved and I'm not too good on receiving thank you favours".

Chad seemed disappointed but Luna at least smiled when she heard my depiction of Pinkie Pie.

"Okay we're going around the town through a much brighter forest and it should only take an hour which gives us plenty of time to reach the foot of the mountain before sun down" I said beginning to move quickly north towards the nicer forest.

It seemed to be a much more relaxing walk on account that the bird's chirps were extra sweeter and the tree branches didn't look like they wanted to kill you. The walk sadly was brief and very soon we had arrived at the huge mountain which seemed to go on forever but I realised must only be less than five hundred metres tall.

I looked at the others and they nodded for me to proceed. "Don't you want to rest first" I asked them but Chad said "I'm ok Captain" much to my surprise that he addressed me by my title. "I as well, I can just hover over you as you climb that way I can rest my legs" stated Luna which I thought was fair as long as she didn't stray too far.

"Ok then well, since we made excellent time we don't really need to camp out here but we all deserve a. "Suddenly my voice was drowned out by the trundle of some machine which would sound alien to Luna and Chad but to me sounded all too real and terrifying.

"How could they send one of them back!" I asked in astonishment. Luna and Chad looked at me with expressions grim and questioning eyes but I quickly told them "get up the mountain, run up it but stay together I will try and hold them off here".

"But Asimov" Luna said but I interrupted her saying "no time just go and Chad you better keep her safe or I'll haunt you till the day you die".

He no longer had fear in his eyes just a determination possibly bolstered by the high-tech stuff he now had.

I turned around and unstrapped my rifle making sure it was ready for action when Luna's voice perpetrated the air. "Be safe" was all she said before Chad tore her away and they began running up the mountain without looking back.

I breathed heavily as I strapped four grenades to my holster belt and waited. Suddenly the trees of the nice forest exploded and out of the smoke and crushed woods came a motherfucking TANK!

**I just had to... ok so yeah R&R plz and thanks for reading this chap, got a bit gory than usual but yeah what you going to do...well what... hello... yes I'm asking you... fine be that way... **


	24. Shaking the Mountain

**Shaking the Mountain  
**

The tank was a nightmare, it was feared by all soldiers of the three factions for its abilities that had both drawbacks and incredible bonuses. For on it burned crystals by the pound every fifty miles but it's heavy barrelled cannon had been known to blow buildings off their foundations. Its top speed was 40mph but usually it went much slower making it easy to manoeuvre. However you didn't stand a chance at getting close to it as it had Heavy machine guns all over it.

The thing was basically a fort on wheels and I had no anti-tank weaponry that could break through 5 inches thick of the hardest metal in Equestria.

"You do realise you have about a 13% of beating this thing" said Red. "The odds are in my favour again then" I told her as the tank trundled forwards a few more metres until it stopped a few metres from me and the hatch popped open.

"So this is the famous pony who killed the scouting platoon well you don't look so tough" said a very blond unicorn who was dressed in full uniform smartly buttoned up and pressed as if he were on parade.

"You should hand over the princess now and we might just forget about you ever being here" said the tank commander with a smirk.

I looked at him and nodded to up the mountain "afraid to get out of your tank and climb up the hill you Pristine swathe jerk".

The commander seemed to shake his head "your one to talk, I didn't know that earth ponies ever used brightly coloured capes with pictures of moons and suns all over them, get it from Luna then I assume".

I looked at him now and wondered if the entire U.A was made up of arrogant pricks. He seemed oblivious to this however and procured a comb from below him and became to tend to his hair like a garden.

"So shall we get this over with, I'm rather looking forward to a long vacation in Canterlot where they say the mares are as excellent as the architecture".

"So be it then, how do you want to do this" I asked him. "Oh we'll I could just kill you right… now"! He said pulling a pistol from his belt and raisin it.

I however was too fast and had already raised my rifle and shot it out of his hoof. He cried out as my pulse round smashed into his right hoof and made his gun fly off of the tank.

"Kill him!" shouted the tank commander slipping below and shutting he hatch door. "Make him suffer" we're the last words I caught before the hatch shut completely and all help opened up.

Simultaneously all HGMs opened fire from all possible angles and the heavy turret swung round in an attempt to blast me to the moon (not Luna the actual moon).

Pulse rounds flew everywhere and I had to dive behind a nearby rock as an earth shatter boom made my ears ring and the ground shake. The heavy cannon had made a huge crater virtually next to me and done a successful job of disorientating me.

I heard the cannon begin to reload and quickly sprinted into the dishevelled forest I'd walked brought not ten minutes ago. The turrets blared at me all the way and one caught me on my back left hoof, stumbling me.

"Damn it" I shouted, crawling for cover behind a nearby tree as the tank trundled forwards. "You need to retreat" said Red. "Never, he'll get to Luna and then its game over" I said, gasping as I swallowed some pain pills from my belt.  
"If you die here its game over anyway, face it your outgunned Asimov" said Red.

Suddenly an idea came to mind and I pulled a smoke grenade from my belt and through it over the tank to where I was hiding behind the rock before.

"Ah ha so you're hiding behind the rock the " came the tank commanders voice as the turrets and cannon swivelled round to meet where I supposedly was.

I immediately bolted for the great metal hulk until I was right behind it in its blind spot. I grabbed onto the top and pulled myself up, just as the cannon swivelled round and knocked my legs over.

I was caught by the force and was thrown across the tank until I was right in front of the lead turret. Two eyes stared at me from the small square which he used for targeting and I quickly pulled a flash bang from my belt and shoved It in, leaping for cover as I did.

The grenade blew up an instantly cries of pain could be heard over the still activated loudspeaker which the commander was speaking through

I took four of my grenades and shoved them down into the turret, then I started to run fast, very fast until I heard the voice of the commander in my ears boasting "you think a little flash will save you, making a break for it was a bad idea" laughed the commander through the speakers on the outside of the tank.

The cannon came around and the turret began to charge for a large power shot. "Finally decided the end has come" said the smug voice of the Captain. "Oh I knew the end was coming for a long time-just not for me" I said wrapping my cloak around me".

"What do you..." were the only words the tank commander could get in before the tank erupted with a ground shaking boom and I was thrown back across the mountain side. The fire didn't harm me because of my cloak but the force of the explosion shook my bones and totally disorientated me so that I didn't realise I was sliding down the steep mountain until I was almost falling.

I cried out and made to grab something, anything but my hooves couldn't find and purchase on the hard stone.

Luckily a tree branch had decided to grow in exactly the place I was falling and I immediately grasped onto it, clinging to dear life as the world shook and the foot of the mountain was engulfed in flames and bits of metal.

A lone shred of U.A uniform bearing the Commander symbol fluttered past me and I couldn't help but feel relieved that I had survived a terrible clash with a pony killer.

However that was until the branch began to snap. It started with a few small cracks that immediately alerted me. I quickly fumbled for better grip but it was no use, I was going to fall about twenty metres into a fiery pit, somehow I doubted even if my body survived my cloak would fully protect me from all the flames.

"Looks like this is it Red" I shouted over the sound of the blood thumping in my ears. "Asimov" suddenly came a voice from above me. Luna was hovering just above me and reached out with her hooves. "Take my hoof"!

I looked at her and without even thinking shouted "I told you not to fly"! She looked annoyed through the rising smoke and shouted angrily "Grab my bloody hoof"! "Hate to disappoint a lady" I yelled, leaping from the branch as it broke away and grasping onto Luna's hooves.

She struggled for a few seconds, rising agonisingly slow before she got us onto a gentler side of the mountain where we could stand properly.

I collapsed, coughing from all the smoke in my lungs and she collapsed from all the effort she had put into hauling my ass away from my own barbecue.

"Thanks for that" I spluttered as I tried to clear my lungs and calm my mind. "Don't mention it, I guess now we're equal" laughed Luna still panting.

I pretended to think for a moment before replying "nah I think I've saved your life far more times than once". She looked at me hard for a moment before breaking into a smile "let's see if I can't save you some more sometime". "I'm happy to make this into a competition Princess but I'm afraid that you will lose".

"Err guys, there are Peagasi flying towards here really quick and I don't think… oh am I interrupting something" interrupted Chad.

I looked back at him and then realised my face was centimetres from Luna. She too realised this and quickly pulled away as did I fumbling over my words. "They w- won't find anything through the flames and I err... certainly won't either so just let's carry on then shall we"? "Yes let's" said Luna beginning to resume walking up the mountain.

I brushed the dust off my cloak and armour and checked I still had everything. I sighed as I realised my rifle was missing, probably a bubbling pool of metal at the bottom of the hill actually.

Chad seemed to notice my down look and procured something I would have kissed him for had I not felt like complete crap.

"Me and Luna watched the fight and when the metal thing exploded and you got thrown back lot's of shrapnel shredded nearby us and your rifle hit me right in the forehead" explained Chad, showing where the butt of my rifle had impacted.

"Chad, you have gained a good star, well done you are no longer a rookie but a rookie first class". He cocked his head in confusion and I explained "it's like a rookie but plus a gold star".

"Oh, we'll that's the first promotion I have been given in my life so, thanks" he said over the moon (not Luna). He began to reach out and shake my hoof but I was already walking away, wondering why no matter what ponies were so damn nice and friendly for nothing.

So having survived a dance with a tank, which I fully explained to them in great detail we started to walk up this steep slope of the mountain.

"Why would anyone build such a terrible contraption?" asked Luna. "Well it's an amazing weapon and in a huge number they could blow this mountain to bits" I said.

Luna seemed distressed at this but

I was still on my guard for more assassins but Red assured me that I couldn't be that unlucky in one day.

I tried rubbing the dirt and grime that had milder into my face with my cloak but it seemed to be just as covered in muck and ash as the rest of me was.

I looked like I'd come fresh from a battlefield (which I supposed I had) but miraculously carried no new scars this time. Although my feet ached and my joints cracked and I was once again developing a rather Nasty headache I felt like I could take on the world.

We passed small ravines and an avalanche which after a brief struggle we climbed over and finally a long stretch of winding uphill paths until finally we reached he prize.

The top of the mountain was even better than expected with a large cave and a huge circular round, natural courtyard in the entrance overlooking the entire valley and stretching into the distance Canterlot.

I grabbed a small set of binoculars from my backpack and took a look. Nodding I looked at Chad and Luna saying "nice, this place has plenty of lookout points and the cave will be a great place to defend if needs be, maybe I can get some real rest tonight" I said suddenly realising it had grown quite dark.

"That reminds me" said Luna, stepping forth into the large flat stone circle and beginning her moon rising.

So she rose slowly into the sir and shot up like a silver bullet along with the moon which once again showed her cloaked in shadow making her 20% more awesome than if she had just risen up into the air.

I thought she'd gradually flap down but she stayed still up there for a number of minutes, prompting me to ask her "is there a problem"?

But Chad gasped and pointed at the sky and I looked up and saw some of the most vibrant and beautiful stars I had ever seen since coming to Equestria.

"How does she do that?" I asked not expecting to be answered. "Magic" said Chad not catching on to my rhetorical question.

"Right well, we need to explore this cave now and get a fire going, we'll freeze to death if we don't" I told them.

"How exactly are we going to make a fire when there is no wood around?" asked Luna. "Well, Ahh" I said realising that it would be very uncomfortable staying in the cold.

"Tonight we'll just have to do without any form of Heating, tomorrow we'll work something out" I said. "But it's going to be freezing" exclaimed Chad, rubbing his hooves together to emphasise his point.

"If I can spend three days in the icy cold snows of the Crystal Empire without even armour or knowledge of any help then you can last a night on top a mountain sleeping in a cave" I told Chad.

Luna took a step back an element of surprise in her eyes. "You know of the Empire" she said astounded whilst Chad simply looked on in yet more confusion.

I nodded saying "yes, the crystal ponies were great allies to the earth ponies since we had the same features, minus the shining coats".

"What's the crystal…" began Chad but I and Luna simultaneously said "shut up"!

"Keep the Empire to yourself Asimov, nopony in Equestria can remember it and we don't want people spreading rumours- right Chad" called Luna. "What" he asked.

"Nothing, just a place that will exist in the future" was he excuse I chose. "Well anyway, let's explore this cave then start setting up" I said, slinging my rifle round and slowly advancing.

"Do you except to find anything in there at all" asked Luna. "Well from my experience of cage there's always a crazy Manticore inside along with the mane six" I said. "Huh" said Luna. "Nothing I'll tell you later".

So we slowly advanced into the cave and found nothing to be there, only the darkness which Luna quickly lit up with light from her horn.

"No one's home" said Chad looking at the vast round ball of a room which I thought was the perfect base. "Red can your signals get out" I asked. "No, completely satellite and radio wave proof" she told me. "Good no signals can get in then".

Luna flew around and surveyed he large cave shouting "it's not very deep, just a round circular giant". "It's perfect for a week's stay, as long as word of the tank doesn't spread too quickly and I put trackers outside" I shouted up to her.

"What's a tracker?" she asked me. "It's a small orb that detects strange movements and irregular heat patterns and runs off solar power" I shouted up to her. "What's solar power" she shouted back to me.

I realised that we were getting very loud and wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't hear us on Ponyville. "I'll tell you later, but we need to keep the noise levels down Princess" I said resuming a normal tone.

"It's just Luna" she whispered to me in a mocking tone. "Yeah we'll Luna, you have to come down for there and sleep now or else you'll fall asleep during the day".

She flew down graciously and landed with a plonk right behind me "I rarely get up during the day Asimov, it's only because you're choosing to spend the days on foot and the nights asleep that I'm up" she told me.

"Well fine do what you want but I'm tired" I said moving over to where Chad had unknowingly dropped asleep and nestling down onto the cold stone floor.

_"Tired of the war already_" said Luna. "What" I asked nearly jumping out of my skin. "I said tired of protecting me already" she responded staring at me strangely probably due to my wide eyed expression.

"No not tired of you yet, I could never grow tired of you" I told her truthfully still shaking my head from what id just heard. "Oh you best, you're only saying that" she said giggling slightly. "No really, all my life has been war and survival and even though the past couple of days has been just that, I'm glad to share the experience with some good friends" I told her, feeling like I was opening up a little too much.

She came over and sat down next to me, asking "didn't you have friends in your old time"? "Friends aren't something you want in a war, if they die it just adds weight onto you" intolerance her. "Although there was this one pony, his name was Bill and we went through the same training facility, the same assignments the same unit everything he same". "He was a rank higher than me though always but he treated me as an equal always and welcomed opinion". "He understood honour and loyalty but like me and all the others showed his enemy no mercy, his skills unmatched he carried this heavy chain gun a bit like mine but it could mow down platoons in seconds" I said remembering him and all the good times we'd had together.

"Don't you miss him" asked Luna. I knew she was only being polite but it hit hard what she said. "More than miss him I mourn him, he was killed in action six months ago to this day, I took over his rank and the A-Class Elite U.E.R became mine" I said, now feeling quite sad despite the length of time it had been.

"That's awful I'm so dreadfully sorry" she said, shuffling closer and wrapping a wing around me. "Yeah we'll, as I said friends and war don't mix Princess".

"Luna, just Luna" she told me. "Well Luna how about you, do you miss anyone from your times?" I asked her.

She took her wing away from me and looked down at the cold floor with her big starry blue eyes. "I was the Princess of the Night, I never really had that many friend anyway, and what I did have all died in the war which I created over some silly little jealousy with Tia" she said, choking out the last part and beginning to cry

"Whoa now hey, it's ok it was just frustrating to be ignored for all your hard work, I understand that" I told her calmly, putting my hoof around her and comforting her now. "We all do things we regret and your sister, forgave you and everything so it can't be that bad" I told her but she kept on sobbing.

"Luna its ok you're a great pony and I would choose the night over day anytime" I told her, giving her a squeeze. She blinked away her tears and looked up at me. "Really"? "Absolutely, I mean at night you've got the stars and the darkness, what else do you need to sneak up on some pony unexpectedly" I said making her giggle cutely.

Wait a minute _cute_… I'd never even heard that word in my life now I was thinking it.

"Thanks's Asimov, you really are sweet in a hard sort of way" she said. "Well err thanks I guess, yea call the murdering monster pony sweet" I said getting very bitter.

Luna shoved herself away from me and grabbed my head with her hooves telling me "you are not a monster; you are a true gentleman of the old ways and made a lack of judgment which you promised would never happen again".

"I satiated into her eyes for a moment before realising something."I haven't put trackers or motion sensors down; I need to go do that". I made to get up but Luna grabbed me and pulled me down saying "please just stay with me, it's only one night".

I sighed sadly and unzipped my pack pulling out seven of the small orbs. "One night that needs to be protected along with its keeper" I told her pulling away from her.

"I can come with you" she said making to get up but I stopped her saying "its best you stay here".

She seemed to be heartbroken over me going out to put a few trackers down but It had to be done so I got Olson with it, planting a few around the cave entrance and a couple outside in the large circular balcony like thing outside the caves entrance.

It was really windy and cold now and I quickly went back inside to talk to Luna but found her already asleep.

"Night bird hey" I whispered, slipping my cloak off and putting it round her shaking form. I unclipped my backpack and threw it down by Chad, and then I grabbed my rifle and slid down the cave wall until I came into a half laying half sitting position.

"Wake me if anything is detected"'I told Red. She didn't  
respond for a minute before saying "disappointed". "What's that supposed to mean" I asked. "You know" she said, powering down with an extra loud whirr.

I sighed, my breath clearly visible as it left my mouth. "What a hell of a day, and the future didn't look any easier.

**So tired, can't think of anything smart to say…peace I'm away to sleep.**


	25. Nightmares

**Nightmares**

_I leaped over some corpses of the P.P.R and began shooting in every direction. Pegasus were coming from everywhere, the sky the back alleys and over the north east wall which was swarmed by the P.P.R. The large wall which had been built last minute out of rubble and other items not three days ago had unsurprisingly crumbled and more than a hundred peagasi were storming the place._

We ran behind what might have once been a recruiting office for the U.E.R and Bill started to tell me and the others what to do. "Ok, they're pretty much outnumbering and outgunning us but if we can somehow get behind them to that abandoned and smouldering tank I bet the turret still works and we can blow them back to Cloudsdale 14"!

I looked at Bill and said "you crazy fool is this another one of your suicidal plans"? "Eeyup" he said grinning as if this was a joke. "Unless you want to disobey your Captain?" he prompted. I looked at him crossly but couldn't help break into a small grin as he laid out the plans details.

"Maverick you're going to stay here and play the distraction, when we start sneaking across your start shooting and in general hold them all off until we get to that tank, got it" said Jet's. "Got it Captain" he said before checking on the other ponies.

"Ok then let's do this" I said as we started quickly but quietly moving between cover and downed buildings, going away from the main area where everyone was massing to. A minute after we left the shooting started and we picked up the pace, knowing Maverick wouldn't last long alone.

"Ok now we just shoot down this alley and we'll be there" said Bill, although I somehow doubted that since he aced everything at training except how to navigate. "If we go down there we're going to run into a patrol" I told him, resting my hooves of my gun. "Look just because every time we go down a damn alley doesn't mean". He stopped as a sic pony patrol came strolling through the alley and spotted us.

"Kill them" shouted the leader and chaos was unleashed. We all dove for cover and started shooting each other with me taking out two ponies in the head and Bill...l being Bill. He leaped over the rubble cover and charged right into a peagasi pony.

At point blank range he blasted right through his armour with his shotgun and kept going. He shot the leader in the head, spraying blood into the eyes of the pony next to him and blinding him. "The only pony still able to do anything flicked his gun round but Bill brought his down on his head hard and knocked his helmet off and began slamming the butt of the rifle into the ponies head until he was clearly dead.

I strode up to the last pony and shot him through the head with my rifle before he could recover and began walking down the alley. "Told you we'd run into a patrol" I said to him. "Technically we didn't go down the alley so the patrol ran into us" he said, reloading his shotgun.

We ran down the alley until we came to a half collapsed building with the tank wedged into it. Even though it was out of sight we'd have to make a three metre dash across to get to it and in that time we'd be exposed to a hundred ponies or so.

"You go, you were the agile one in training I was the strong one" said Bill, moving to just across from the tank and getting ready for anything.

I shouldered my rifle across my back and rubbed my hooves together, getting ready to make the dash. I half sprinted half jumped across, landing behind the tank and checking for any enemies around it.

Finding none I raised my hoof to Bill, stating it was okay and he nodded and resumed his cautious look.

I clambered up onto the tank and slid across until I was at the semi-opened hatch which I pried open and quickly slipped inside. It was rank and the smell of recently dead was strong in the air. I saw two tank operators slumped in their chairs with broken necks and their tongues sticking out.

I took one of their helmets off and replaced mine with it, and then I pushed one to the side and looked at the tank. Despite my over ten years of service I had never been in one of these rolling thunders as my Unit liked to call them. The buttons all looked complicated but I knew where the power switches were and quickly flicked them all upright.

The tank came to life and two screens either side activated, on with the tanks status and the other with four cameras detailing each side of the tank. The two side and the rear tank cameras were down but the front one remained intact, if not slightly binky. The tank status showed that its wheels were out and the main gun's charge was low but I only needed one power shot.

I grabbed the tanks positioning system and tried locking the cannon into place; it slowly brought itself round to the battlefield which I could now see clearly since I'd moved the cannon. Not good, two of Maverick's men were down and the P.P.R soldiers were all taking cover behind the old wall.

I would change that. I began flicking loads of switches and brought the tank's cannon charge to its maximum. By this time peagasi had noticed what I was doing and began to shoot the tank Bill quickly stepped out and began to shoot back making the ponies dive back for cover by which time I fired.

The energy blast ripped through the lines and the rubble, turning everything into tiny bits but blowing everything in a hundred metre radius back. Maverick and his ponies were blown against a nearby bank on the other side of the street and the majority of P.P.R soldiers were completely totalled whilst others ran around on fire, screaming for help.

The building in which the tank occupied was also groaning and shaking and I didn't need to be given any more telling and immidielty made to get out when a large piece of rubble fell on the hatch of the tank and all the light's inside started flickering.

I quickly made to push the hatch open but I just wasn't strong enough, I could boast being stronger than any normal soldier any day but I just couldn't get the hatch open. As the sound of my impending doom quaked and shook around me all I could do was sit there and wait for the end.

But it turned out that was not life's plan and the hatch suddenly got ripped from its hinges and two strong hooves pulled me out. "You ain't going anywhere" shouted Bill, putting me down and then making a break for it with me as the entire building collapsed and we dived into the alley we'd come out of.

"Shit, Bill I thought I was a goner" I said finally regaining my composure. "Yeah well I would've been there sooner had that power blast not taken me off my hooves and barrelled me into a set of barrels" he said giving me the largest slap on my back ever and knocking what little wind I had in me from my lungs.

"Our job isn't done though, we need to make sure the north-east stays defended" I reminded him and he nodded picking up his fallen shotgun. "Let's go to work brother" he said and we charged through the alleyways until we came to the smaller battle that was still raging from the aftermath of the large explosion.

Sergeant Maverick and the remaining two ponies behind him were fighting for their lives and pinned down behind the bank. We dodged and dived over to them eventually me making my way behind an abandoned stall which had been thrown into the bank and Bill taking cover behind a pillar.

So we continued the fight with reinforcement trickling in on our side from other units and lost ponies until we were eventually thinning out the enemy and making small pushes.

Suddenly a pony with similar helmet to the one I was still wearing form the tank ran over from a small group that were too injured to fight and said "message coming in, just trying to adjust the frequency". He twiddled a few buttons and made a few changes until his eyes finally widened.

"Captain Jet's the command is telling us to pull back!" shouted a radio operative from the cover of a nearby pillar. Bill leaped across to a nearby downed stall which I was taking cover and shouted back to the radio guy "tell them why the fuck they want us to pull back when I'm defending the damn north-east"!?

The radio operative repeated what Bill had just said and after a few seconds the radio operative dropped his gear and took off his operating helmet. He stared at us shaking and declared "there's an airstrike coming-in in five minutes and if we aren't a kilometre away by then we get fried by the ultra violet pulses" he said now dropping all his gear and beginning to move back.

I looked at Bill and Bill looked at me, both wearing the same expressions of absolute horror "shit!" we said simultaneously.  
  
I opened my eyes and gasped loudly, sweating all over and feeling terrible from my realistic memory dream. It felt so damn real, the battle and Bill... I didn't really want to wake up since it was still early but I restrained myself from going back to a dream I knew the ending to and got up.

I yawned inaudibly and checked the surrounding area for any disturbances. It wasn't so cold anymore and light began to peak above the hills so I presumed Celestia would raise the sun soon.

I went to my pack and sat down, just staring blankly around the cave when my eye fell on something shiny lodged between a small crack in the rock.

Curious and having not much else to do I went over to it and pried it free from the rocks, it was a small ruby which made me wonder as to why and how it had gotten into the cave all the way up here.

I shrugged and put it in one of my Armour's pockets. It was just a ruby and a pretty small one at that, somepony could have just dropped it a long time ago.

I decided to go outside and onto the large circular flat peak of the mountain. I grabbed my binoculars and zoomed in on the wreck of the tank down by the foot of the mountain I was absolutely correct and nothing that would cause suspicion remained except a few large bits of metal and a huge crater.

Hopefully they'd deduce it as an asteroid and refrain from coming up the mountain.

"Morning Captain" came a sudden voice from behind and I spun round to see Chad, dressed in his uniform and eating some vegetable I had never seen before. "Chad, what the hay is that" I asked him as he took another bite of the weird food. He laughed slightly interpreting it as a joke but seeing my stern face he answered plainly "err it's just a carrot".

"Well I don't care where did you get it from" I asked him. He took another bite, munching slowly as his brain processed my question. He looked suspicious at me and thought visibly for a moment before answering "I don't really know" he said finishing his damn carrot.

I knew he was lying and decided it was time for another lesson in soldiering "Right, well since you don't know where you got this from can you go pick up that loose slab" I told him, pointing to a piece of stone about the same size as a rifle.

He went over and picked it up, and then he brought it back to me straining under the weight. "This here is part of a training exercise they used on me in my training days but I'm going to amp up your training unless you told me where you got that carrot from" I warned him.

"I swear I just woke up with it in my hooves" Said Chad, really trying not to drop the stone. "You better start answering truthfully or you're going to have to hold that thing up for another half an hour" I told him, looking at my watch.

To give him credit he held up the stone for another ten minutes before he dropped it on his feet and howled in pain.

"Ten minutes, impressive, too bad it wasn't half an you but I guess you can give me four hundred press ups unless you tell me where you got that damn carrot" I said moving the new word around in my tongue.

Chad tried to act confidently for a moment when he gave up and pleaded "ok just stop, I swiped some from Canterlot and hid them all for me".

I walked in circles around him scolding him "you have breached many regulations of my code but thankfully you aren't in my time to get your punishment".

"What punishment" he asked fearfully. "Death" I told him sternly and he quaked in fear.

"Will you answer my question to the letter and follow my orders implicitly" I asked him. "Yes" he said. "I don't want to hear yes, my name is not yes I want to hear Sir Yes sir!" I shouted at him. "Sir Yes sir" he said half heartedly to which I rolled my eyes at the pathetic attempt.

"Ok, now pick up that smaller rock over there" I told him. "His tired legs went walked over and he picked up another rock. "How long do you think you can hold this smaller one" I asked him. He thought a moment and tested the weight before answering "fifteen minutes sir". "Good then I want you to hold it for twenty" I said with mock enthusiasm.

He groaned and began to focus on holding the rock for that long. I went over to the side of the mountain and leaned over it, scanning the horizon for anything threatening. I looked through my binoculars down at Ponyville and saw nothing extra special except for nopony in the entire town at all which seemed odd since the small things I remembered from Ponyville was loads of happy insane ponies and large bits of glass sticking out of my back.

I mean the one place I get injured that badly is in a town that has absolutely no threats to me except insane pink ponies and the possibility of having an epileptic fit from bright houses of every colour.

I paused as I zoomed in on one particular street with a cloaked pony that seemed to be digging or something in the main street. "Empty streets, nopony in sight except for a cloaked figure digging in a street as if looking for tracks or something.

"I'm going to have to keep an eye on that one" I murmured under my breath. I checked my watch and saw it was about time for Chad to quit holding his rock and take a break. "Chad you can stop" I told him after a few minutes.

He practically collapsed where he stood and puffed considerably fast. "Why in Equestria did I deserve that" he asked, still breathing heavily. "You deserved it because you have received second to no training in the Royal Guard, your weapon skills are pathetic, agility, speed and stamina atrocious but here is something you can be happy about" I told him offering a hoof up.

"It's not your fault" I told him cheerily. "What" he asked. "You may have been weak before but if this level of training is received in the Guard I don't blame you which is why I am going to give you the secrets of my time" I told him getting once more into the roll as mentor.

"Secrets?" he asked questioningly. "Think about it Chad my world is filled with war and horror but with these things has brought new technology, weapons and techniques specifically designed to kill and protect by the end of my lessons which I started teaching you the first time I met you, you'll be the most feared warrior in Equestria... besides me" I told him with an attempt at a large smile that ended in a mismatched look.

"Are you not overjoyed?" I asked him. "Oh totally over the moon" he said not trying to hide sarcasm.

"Chad just shut up and listen to what I tell you and you'll be fine" I told him. Deciding that he wouldn't get another word in Chad fell in line and started listening to me lecturing about the history of war weapons.

"For thousands of years, ponies have used blades to fight their battles" I began, drawing my combat knife. "These began with simple bronze metals and then iron and steel-always advancing through each era and getting sharper and more deadly". "However blades quail at projectile weapons that have dominance from afar, the first of these being a simple slingshot but then as you may be familiar with the crossbow, which enabled ponies a better aim and far more power". "Finally the gun which started as a small weapon based on gunpowder until it became based on gas and then finally energy crystals" I told him, showing the red ruby I'd taken from the cave.

Chad seemed to be hanging on to every word I said which spurred me on as I started explaining the short version of how energy crystals did this. "I know the watered down version which is some machine so tiny is inside all energy based weapons and it takes the magic or zero energy as ponies from my time prefer to call it and convert it into a small beam of energy or a pulse which it simply pure magic that is fired at a high speed."This energy is deadly and smashed into a body with extreme force and instantly burns the flesh in a split second after impact, kind of a mercy".

Chad kept looking at my rifle and it prompted me to ask "where's your rifle Chad"? "Oh I left it behind in the cave" he said quietly. "Here's a lesson and kind of a rule never leave your gun behind, now go get it" I told him, pointing off into the cave.

He quickly trotted away into the cave and returned a moment later with the rifle in his mouth. "Yes, that's another thing we need to discuss, you see even if you don't  
know it the world is filled with bacteria's which in laymen terms are tiny monsters which try and get in brought the air, contact with the skin anyway they can". "You picking and carrying stuff with your mouth like that dirty old rifle is basically you having a death wish" I told him.

He looked at me as If was insane before dropping the rifle to the ground and picking I up.

"Good, now I will teach you how to hold your gun since your technique is still quite poor". "Now unlike a pistol which is the small gun on my belt the rifle requires two hooves to operate or something to lean on due to the blowback that comes with it". "This means you cannot move and fire efficiently whilst holding in since you need to be In an upright position, so keep that in mind before you go off thinking you can run around guns blazing" I said trying to inject some humour into the lecture.

Chad didn't get it and I sighed saying "you basically can't run and shoot this type of gun ok"! He nodded so hard I thought his head would fly off.

I continued for quite a while to instruct him on how to hold the gun and what each part was used for, the fore lesson I wanted him to learn was to not look down the barrel every five minutes.

"Ok Chad we're done for now, practice with the rock and the ways in which to hold the gun and remember, don't use your mouth for anything".

He nodded and I asked him "I didn't hear you"? "Sir Yes sir!" he shouted and began to practice holding the rifle.

I wiped my brow not knowing until now how hard it was to be a teacher. The sun had risen quite high into the sky and I checked my watch and saw it was almost three o'clock to my great surprise.

I hadn't checked on Luna since the early morning and I couldn't help but feel guilty because of it. I entered into the room and looked at where she was still sleeping with my cloak still over her.

I walked over to her and looked down at her. She was sleeping quite peacefully, probably tired of the daytimes which age had spent walking and the fact that she had to raise the moon which still went over my head as to how exactly she achieved it.

I walked over to my pack and took out the engineering tools I had found on the dead engineering ponies. I then took out the dead scientist ponies gun I had taken a while back and Red suddenly came on "Asimov, since you refuse to listen to me or U.E.R policies I just want to be destroyed " she said dramatically.

"Red stop being a drama queen and tell me what you want?" I asked her, getting to be point as quickly as possible. "Well that vial you took from that pony's blood still needs to be analysed as you won't do it and the U.A AI still needs to be hacked fully and am I the only one here thinking about the fact that you are clearly mentally unstable or have you not told Princess Luna about that yet!" she asked me furiously.

"Told me what" asked Luna, startling me and Red at her sudden question. "Luna!" I yelled "you scared me, I thought you were asleep" I lied quickly.

She seemed to buy the excuse and said "I was asleep but I heard you talking and decided to intrude into the conversation if you don't mind" she asked us both.

"Of course your majesty, in fact I think I should..."."Analyse these samples" I interjected quickly, pulling out the blood vials and scanner from my bag and quickly connecting them up to Red. "Ok Red good luck" I said quickly getting up and shuffling Luna out of the cave before Red could get a word in. "Asimov you can't hold out forever" she yelled before going out of earshot.

"What was that about?" asked Luna. "Oh just me and Red having a bit of an argument" I told her "she's just annoyed at my choice in location" I once more lied. "Oh, we'll I'm sure she will come to except you judgement in time" said Luna.

"Yes, I'm sure" I said rubbing my eyes. "Are you ok Asimov?"Luna asked me. "Your eyes are looking tired and you have visible bags under them" she told me, pointing to my face.

"Ah yes, well I didn't get that good a sleep last night what with everything that's been going on recently" I told her, telling the truth partly.

"Well anyway on to more important things-like the reason for Chad miming funny poses" said Luna staring around me at Chad who was furiously concentrating on his exercises that I'd taught him.

"Yes well I've taken it upon myself to train him how to become a better guard by using certain techniques from my time" I explained. "So far it's gone reasonably on, apart from his secret carrot stash that he'd refused to tell me about at first he has followed my orders and techniques to the letter".

Luna seemed visibly impressed at Chad's performance and she asked me "but he was a nobody and now he holds himself high and acts with such a discipline, how did you do it"?

"Oh, well I guess everyone has a little bit of soldier in them just waiting to come out and…um" I struggled to find a suitable word but Luna helped me by suggesting "shine"? "Exactly" I said to her.

"Well I'm glad someone found his potential" she said. "Yes I'm glad too, the first time I saw him it was the night I rescued you, and I hit him with a chair after the U.A assassins knocked me out". "Why did they not just kill you?" asked Luna.

"What the assassins or Chad?" I asked. "The assassins tied you up, but why could they not have just shot you with their fire st… I mean gun"? "Well I suppose they wanted to follow the order of time by having you assassinated without any changes made along the way, however now time is clearly messing with me because since I saved you it should have changed already unless something else is going to cause the world to go to hell" I said.

"Well, let us look to the present instead of all this past and future nonsense" said Luna, sitting down and looking over the valley.

"Well history is also important, but this time seems so clean I mean no smoke or rubble" I said. "Or mud and plague" added Luna. "You really are a thousand years out of it" I blurted out before I could help myself.

I thought she'd be angry but she simply nodded and started to tell me of her life "being on the moon for so long was lonesome, even though my rage controlled me it was probably the only thing that kept me sane whilst instated into the black space and every single day Equestria". "Truthfully, I came from a time where friendship had barely emerged and re-entered into a world of happiness and love, it was of no consequence to Nightmare Moon but I feel like my life was taken from me".

"By your sister?" I asked. She looked at me and shook her head, "by the stars Tia only did what was right the real fault lies with Nightmare Moon, kind of a twin personality of me" explained Luna. The side that saw Tia become the lead ruler and the way ponies praised her during the day and slept through the night, ultimately ignoring it" she said with a small strain of resentment now.

"But you stopped her" I said. "No that wasn't me, that was the Elements of Harmony, without the magic of friendship that they used on me they could never have removed the darkness from my soul" said Luna.

I thought a moment before asking "so they remove the darkness and bad things from you and what, destroy it"? "Well yes, in fact before the mane six I and my sister wielded the elements to defeat the tyrant ruler of Equestria Discord" she said.

"Who is Discord?" I asked. "Oh I thought the legends would carry on for eternity but I guess two thousand years is a long time to lose a heroic story like that" said Luna. "Ok well before me and my sister came to power there was the divide in races as you may already know and Discord came along right after the land united into one and declared himself ruler of Equestria and began making weird chaos happen".

"He'd never completely overrun Equestria with Chaos but he'd keep a firm level of chaos around all the time, and if anyone rose up against him or directly opposed him then he would make the chaos so bad that it practically destroyed what little harmony was left in Equestria" said Luna her voice rising as she progressed through the tale.

"So..." I prompted being very curious about the story now. "So me and my sister came along and wielded the elements of Harmony which banished him to a stone prison where he is still held to this day, in fact I should really tell Tia to check the spell that is holding him there sometime" said Luna shaking her head.

"Sounds like it were quite the times but one thing still gets me" I said confusedly. "What's that then" Luna asked me. "Well you said you and your sister came along but where from, I mean where did the race of Alicorns come from"?

Now it was Luna's turn to look puzzled and she said "I-I don't know... I know me and Tia must have been around the first but there were others that I know of, even as I try to remember it's like remembering a dream I can't, I don't know" she finally said.

"This made me really suspicious and I asked "you can remember so much and yet not where you came into the equation"? "What's and equation?" asked Luna. "Never mind Luna, you've been around for a while you probably don't remember" I told her, reassuring myself as well as Luna.

"Yes, you are probably correct, I have probably forgotten it has been so long-I think I'll just go and go and see Red" she said but I stopped her "no I don't really think you should talk to her right now" I said in a panicked tone. "Why ever not?" she asked "we got on so well when you were in that hospital bed she told me quite a lot about your world".

I looked at Luna now and asked "what things did she tell you"? "Oh well, besides the reasons why you were here some general knowledge about your world and some more things nothing directly important... why are you so uptight about this you were fine with it before? She asked me making to move around me.

"Look Luna it's nothing like that it's just that, she's doing some updates... these things help make sure she stays alive and if you go in and disturb her then she may deactivate" I lied once more.

Luna however bought my story probably from the steely look on my face and stepped back apologising "I'm sorry Asimov I thought it was because you didn't trust me but...". "Hey it's not like that, it's just I want to be sure she is safe is all, you too" I told her.

Suddenly Chad stepped over and asked respectfully "when night falls it is going to be very cold, should we not work on the heat problem"?

I smacked my head with my right fore hoof and said "hay I nearly completely forgot, well done for reminding me Chad, since you are the only pony who is not recognised my Ponyville you are going to have to go in and get blankets and anything that can keep us warm at night" I told him.

Chad looked at me puzzled and asked "but how, I'd have to go down the mountain and up again and I don't have any bits to pay for the materials". I sighed and looked at him now with a pained expression "please use your brain, these are desperate times and you have no money so you are going to go to that boutique over there and" I prompted him to reply.

"Err ask to borrow some blankets and such" he responded losing his cool expression a little. "No- you are going to enter the boutique and steal what we need and make it out again undetected, in fact his is a perfect stealth exercise for you to perform so we kill two birds with one stone" imitating glee.

Luna and Chad looked at me with horrified expressions. "Why would you want to kill two birds with a stone?" asked Luna in a shocked tone. "No it's just a... Chad move out and go get the stuff, use the forest for cover until you come across the boutique, check if it's open if not break a window or something, take saddle bags which I'm sure they'll have and get as many blankets as you can and should I need to remind you that if your caught then you don't know us" I told him in the space of a couple of seconds.

"Anything else?" I asked him. "Well just... umm what was that first one again" he asked meekly. "Get out of here" I said pointing my hoof to the track leading down from the mountain.

"So Chad went down the mountain and I called out as he began to descend "also stay away from the pink pony, she may be slightly insane". I couldn't really hear from this distance but I felt positive that he let out a small whimper.

"Are you sure Chad is up to this, I mean he may have improved drastically in terms of confidence with me and you but if he runs into ponies or trouble down there then he won't last long under pressure" said Luna as she followed my gaze and watched him go.

"He's a good soldier...I mean a good guard, he'll be fine I know it" I said wiping my face with my hoof.

Luna looked at me and asked "are you ok, because you look a little pale and your tired eyes seem to look even more tiered". "I fine" I lied, just got a lot on my mind is all and from what I can see of Ponyville it's completely deserted" I told Luna.

"How can you see for such humongous distance, even my eyesight cannot see Ponyville in such clarity" exclaimed Luna. I smiled and showed her my binoculars, well as glasses work with increasing the user's sight, these work in a similar way but with much smaller and powerful lenses" I explained.

"Ah so they work much like a telescope, but it's tiny barely the size of a book" she said touching them. "Well modern technology likes to make things both compact and useful so a lot of normal devices in this time are still used in my time but simply improved a hundred times over" I told her. "You can use them if you want" I said offering them to her "these things are not dangerous unless you look at the sun (not Celestia by the way).

Luna took them and looked them over curiously. "Amazing" she said, looking through them the wrong way round. "Hmm they appear to be broken" she said. "Did I break them?" "I'm so sorry I...". "No Luna you didn't break them" I said chuckling. "Your simply looking at them the wrong way round" I told her, flipping them I her hooves.

"Oh" was all she said as she tried to look through them again and gasped in amazement. "These are a hundred times more powerful than even my finest astronomy telescope, how on earth do they make everything so clear"?

"Oh don't ask me I just use them as a tool but I guess you could look at the stars with them too" I guessed not knowing if you needed a telescope since it was never really something that came to my mind. "Well they are simply fantastic, do you mind if I hang onto them?" she asked me.

I thought for a moment considering that they were an important part of my equipment itinerary but then again this was Luna and she would probably look after them well.

"I'm not really so sure, I..."

**And we'll just stop you there. So once again hooray for the new episode hope I get loads of reviews to keep my enthusiasm up and I hope you enjoyed this mega Chapter. Oh did I forget to mention Choice time!**

**Should Asimov:**

**Give Binoculars**

**Deny Luna**


	26. Hospital Visit

**Hospital Visit**

I Handed Luna the Binoculars telling her "be careful, these things are now irreplaceable but I'm sure you'll look after them so you can hang onto them". Luna seemed like a filly that had received its first toy and she started viewing everything from Ponyville to the further mountains beyond our tiny one.

I decided to leave her and go and have a little discussion with Red about the things she nearly revealed to Luna. As I walked into the cave I noticed that the scanner that Red was hooked up to was smoking and quickly went over to investigate.

"So you've lied Luna out of the cave I'm impressed I mean your honour has just gone down by fifty percent" said Red. "Look Red, what the hay do you think you are doing, you were about to tell everything to Luna and you do realise the scanner you're hooked up to is smoking" I said harshly.

"I know perfectly well that the scanner is overloaded and also that Luna must be told about you, Asimov you pulled a gun on her and blamed it on stress when you and I both know that you have a little friend in your head seeping his way into your brain"! "Now I know what my programming is and it tells me to prevent or at least try to prevent you or any threat from damaging the mission and even though I may be confined to a motherboard I can still speak and I will tell Luna everything unless you can sort something out!" she yelled at me furiously.

I gritted my teeth and asked "what do you want"? "To complete the mission successfully and without problem but I guess I can't have that since you represent the largest problem in my risk factor program". "You are unstable and unpredictable, either very violent or very weak it depends and hallucinations and bad dreams thrown in to the mix just doesn't help your sanity" Red complained.

"How do you know that my dreams have been plagued recently?" I asked her in an accusing tone. "I may choose to keep silence for the majority of the time now but my scanners how little their range may be still are able to pick up that your increase in brain activity and hard time breathing when you sleep" explained Red.

I turned round and slowly started pacing before I got out the wrench from my backpack and strolled over and picked up Red. "What are you doing?" she asked quickly as I disconnected her from the scanners. "Red I am so... sorry for this but you've become a loose end and until such a time as you can be trusted I have got to disconnect you from the world" I said with real remorse in my voice.

"Captain you-what are you-this is treachery!" she shouted at me. "You brought this on yourself Red, you just couldn't keep that little speaker of yours shut oh no you had to try and talk to Luna about stuff that would seriously affect my relationship with her" I yelled at her as the magnetic wrench began to remove the bolts connected to her battery slot.

"Oh I now can see the light, Captain Foundation cares for the Princess beyond a simple protection job you actually want her to like you as a pony well here's the news Asimov you can deactivate me, crush me bury me or just forget about me but you can't change the fact that you're a soldier for the U.E.R, a pawn on a chess board like myself". "Oh I don't deny this fact but you do and you can't hide your true colours from Luna, she'll find your true self eventually just like the glimpse in the forest and when she does your dreams and fantasies will be..." she stopped as I pulled the extremely rare crystal powering her from her battery compartment and threw it against the wall.

I didn't realise I was breathing hard and felt sweat dripping down my neck and quickly swallowed feeling like my throat was on fire. "Damn it all Red why?" I asked myself. A small echo echoed around the cave asking the same question but I didn't wait to hear a response and quickly gathered the sample Red was studying and other equipment and packed it away.

I looked at the scanner and saw it was really hot as if it was working way past its capacity which made me curious as to what Red had discovered from the vial. I looked at the black box which Red's dormant AI inhabited and knew that without her than many things would become more difficult but my secrets would remain safe and maybe if I could resolve this problem then I could reactivate Red and apologise.

I shook my head and packed Red and the equipment into the bag and then without looking back I left the cave, picking my cloak up off the floor as I did and fastening it around my neck.

I strode forwards to where Luna was still marvelling at everything through the binoculars at all the interesting things which was pretty much trees, mountains and Ponyville. "Anything good" I asked, sitting down next to her.

"Hmm?" she asked me looking away from the binoculars. "Oh just a few ponies here and there but pretty much the same as it has been for a while now, Ponyville's citizens came out a while back from their homes so I'm guessing everything must be ok right"?

"Right" I responded even though I was not sure. "Is Red ok then?" asked Luna. "Oh yeah she's just fine only-we had a little falling out and I don't think she'll be talking for a while" I said gulping. "It still amazes me that a little black box can speak like that, I would never have thought it possible but then again in my time the most amazing thing was the discovery of steam power which still seems to be used quite a lot in this time so no major advancements" she said looking though the binoculars again.

"Well in my time they were able to convert steam to electricity, something which is new here as well" I said. "Yes, only the finest homes in Canterlot have that amazing instalment and I quite frankly have no idea how they do it" she said.

"Yeah that reminds me Luna how come there are like almost no Earth ponies in Canterlot?" I asked. "What do you mean, there are plenty of Earth ponies I used see them almost every day from my balcony" she said. "Sorry that's not what I meant I know there are plenty there but why aren't there many upper class Earth Ponies only workers" I asked feeling a little bit angry at the thought of it.

"Well I guess that the unicorn and Peagasi races just did better when Equestria rose in the times" she said. "I mean during my time everyone was pretty much at the same level but it was so much simpler then although there are more Earth Ponies in Equestria than there are both Unicorns and Peagasi put together" said Luna. "It just seems a little unfair the way they are treated" I said giving my opinion.

"Well they don't seem to mind, everyone is perfectly happy and if my sister ever saw a problem then she would do something to solve it" said Luna now coming away from the side of the ledge. "Well I guess I'm just weary, any divide between the races of Equestria could lead to the war which may or may not take place now" I told her.

"Let's speak of other things, these thoughts only increase the morose feeling of things" said Luna. "Well I suppose we can try that disarming technique with you again?" I asked her, drawing my sidearm. "Yes I think that is a good idea, I am very intrigued about these modern weapons" she told me placing her legs equally apart and getting ready.

I started the exercise and for the first few tries she failed to take it away from me quick enough. However after ten minutes of frustration she began to improve at snatching it out of my grasp and soon she had narrowed her time down so much that it was close to a normal soldier's reaction timing.

"Ok then Luna now that's good but I'm going to show you what a lot of ponies would do if you did that ok" she nodded and I proceeded to raise my gun once more. Luna immidielty snatched it and disarmed me as usual but this time I brought the fore hoof that wasn't doing anything down on her hoof that now held my gun and snatched it before she could think of what had happened.

"Boom" I said with a serious look in my face as I stared down the barrel at her shock expression. "How did you accomplish such a feat your hooves moved in a blur and I could only watch as you took your weapon back from me" said Luna still visibly shocked.

"Well it isn't easy for beginners and takes months of practice to perfect but when you can counter a disarm then you're going to have to counter the counter" I told her although she looked visibly confused. "Ok well this time I'm going to do it again but when you snatch the gun away from me your other hoof has to protect your firing hoof ok, so when my hoof comes towards yours you have to smash it away or catch it ok?" I asked her.

She nodded and replied "ok then". So we retried the exercise which Luna had begun to get the hang of and basically went back to square one much to Luna's frustration. The sun began to set when she finally stopped my hoof and claimed her prize of a dumbfounded look on my face.

"Huzzah I have claimed the day" she panted holding my gun high in the air. "Very good but I think that the assassin won't be exhausted when you fight him" I gasped as I half-sat half-collapsed to the cold mountain stone floor in tiredness. "Wow we were practicing for a long time, it's nearly dawn and time for me to raise the moon" she exclaimed.

This troubled me and I looked down the mountain for any sign of Chad. "He should have been back hours ago but instead he's nowhere to be found" I said as I surveyed Ponyville. Luna sat up next to me and looked through the binoculars I'd given her and exclaimed "he's at the base of the mountain and slowly making his way up, he has a heavy load but other than that he seems ok" she said with a sigh of relief.

"That's good, he should be up by the time you have to raise the moon then" I said and quickly went into the cave and picked up my rifle. I then suddenly remembered that Red was tuned into the trackers and quickly reset them all to respond to my watch if they ever went off.

I then proceeded out of the cave and to the edge of the cliff where I and Luna waited for Chad's return with silence in our eyes. After a long while of waiting and very glum looks we were finally greeted by Chad who came up the side of the mountain and up the track to our peak with two saddlebags filled with blankets and quilts.

"Chad are you ok, was there trouble?" I asked quickly taking the load from his back and carrying them into the cave. I returned with a canteen and he gratefully nearly downed it all in one gulp as he replied "I am ok but there is more than trouble, hay there is loads and loads of trouble going on down there" he told me with an insane look in his eye.

"What did you encounter at the boutique?" asked Luna. Chad turned to her and said "Oh the Boutique was fine your majesty, when I got there the owner was out and I broke a window and stole these things, the problem was on the way back I had to take a detour because six ponies came charging through the woods towards the Everfree forest and I had to actually enter Ponyville".

"You entered the town with quilts and blankets" I asked with my eyebrow raised in disbelief. "Well yes I did and I was questioned by a local who was suspicious and I told them it was for the hospital" he replied. He seemed to lighten up a bit when he saw the visibly impressed look on my face and continued "yeah he took me there and everything and showed me the laundry room where I pretended to leave these things and then left".

"But..." said both me and Luna together. "But then I returned and stole the stuff back, however on my way out of the hospital I saw a unicorn I the critical wing on my way out with burns all over him and horrible deformations". "The doctors then closed the door so I couldn't find out more but I know that no one in Ponyville would get hurt like that unless they were in that large fight with that metal beast" he said now with a risen tone in his voice.

My eye twitched a minute as I said "what you are suggesting here is that one of the tank ponies survived that horrific explosion of energy which I barely survived and I was far away from it". "It seems crazy but this guy looked the real deal and everything which is why I tried to get back here as soon as possible" said Chad.

"What are you going to do now?" asked Luna. I thought for a moment, putting my hoof on my head as I tried to think of the easiest solution for this problem.

"Chad say that this pony is in critical condition and he probably requires some serious medical equipment to keep him alive so if you could not raise the stars tonight and make the moon a bit dimmer I will enter Ponyville and sneak into the hospital which Chad has already told me is easy to break into and disconnect the aid from him, this will kill him and make sure nopony ever hears about you or the tank fight" I told Luna and Chad.

"Seems like a solid plan, do you want my help?" asked Chad. "Sorry Chad but I'm going to take the quick way down which involves me jumping off the mountain side with my jet backpack" I told him.

"I'll still be gone for a few hours however so set up the cave appropriately and wait for my return, don't go back outside and don't come down for me no matter what ok?" I asked them, they both nodded reluctantly and I went to go get my gear.

I decided it best I leave the champion cape behind and take only two pistols which I slid into my holster belt. I also took off my armour and then strapped on my backpack.

I walked out of the cave and Luna put a hoof on my shoulder "be safe" she said and I nodded patting her hoof and striding away from her. I quickly took in the surroundings of Ponyville from my height and looked down at the sheer drop.

I swallowed hard and watched as the last bit of sun went out and then I leaped from the edge and began my freefall. It might have been child play for a normal Pegasus but for a pony with no wings it was the ultimate leap of faith where you put your life in the hooves of a tool.

When the ground became startlingly close I activated the thrusters on my back and quickly slowed down. They were screeching in protest and I made a mental note to check them next time I had the chance. Now however there was business to conclude and I quickly checked my gear before moving out of the forest and towards Ponyville.

It was really quiet and Luna's moon made everything look super dark, added with the fact there were no stars I was practically walking blind. Most ponies had gone to bed but a few lights were still on in the crazy looking houses and I tried my best to avoid them as much I could.

I went by the crazy Sugarcube corner and kept my distance as best I could as if the insane pink pony could hear every tiny sound I made. "I quickly made it through some small back alleys until I came to the other side of Ponyville and saw the hospital which like most of the town's houses looked like it belonged in a fairytale of some sorts.

I snuck into the front doors where I saw a tired nurse reading a magazine and trying to get through her night shift with as little stress as possible. I was slightly appalled by the lack of interest in the medical system but I supposed that things were quite slack here.

I thought back to the hospitals in my time, filthy and overcrowded with doctors working overtime with little to no equipment on them.

I shuddered as I went to the double doors and opened one gently; the nurse didn't rewind at first but looked my way when she felt a draft. Luckily I was shimmying along on the floor and she didn't seem to want to investigate and went back to her magazine.

I shimmied past the door and then past her desk and stood up and turned a corner when I turned a corner and came to a very large hallway which was pristine with signs for every wing pointing in their separate directions. I slowly followed my way along the hallway until I came to the emergency wing and the laundry room right next to it.

Not exactly the type of building plan I'd have but I guess it didn't matter here. I considered going in and simply shooting the pony but I saw a doctor in there with him and didn't want more questions asked if I knocked him out so I entered the laundry room and rummaged around until I found what I needed.

A pair of doctor's overalls and a stethoscope which I both put on. I hid my holster belt underneath the doctor's outfit and proceeded into the hallway once more looking very much the doctor.

I slowly entered the doorway of the survivor and saw now that Chad was right; it was the tank commander himself having somehow survived miraculously.

"Finally I thought my relieve would never leave, I've given him some more morphine and checked his vitals but other than that nothing, if something happens do ring and have a good shift I'm off home" said the tired doctor quickly leaving as fast as he could.

"That was easy" I muttered to myself as I looked at the pony now.

He had literally no fur on him, his coat completely burned off as was his man and his skin scorched and in burned horribly.

Of his four legs three were horribly mangled whilst the other didn't appear to even be there. His eyes were closed and I couldn't really get a look at his face for the oxygen mask but I could tell that he was pretty messed up.

I waved a hoof in front of him and poked him once or twice but he appeared to be completely out. I looked at the oxygen mask and quickly took it off him as if somepony was watching me.

His breathing became more laboured but it was clear that he would survive without it which meant it was more than just unplugging him from a machine.

So I put some doctor's gloves on and got ready to do the job. I tore off a part of the doctor's uniform and rolled it into a ball. Then I grabbed his mouth and held it open.

I breathed out loud for a moment and looked at the pony that may have been my enemy but all the same didn't deserve something like this. Then I roughly shoved the gag into his mouth and then held it shut as did I his nose.

He didn't resist for a few moments but then the heart rate on his monitor began to increase slightly and he twitched a few times before he tried to puke the rag out of his mouth.

That no working and the heart monitor now jumping furiously he began to began to flail wildly and he opened his red rimmed eyes and saw my face. He screamed really loudly but was muffled by my hands and the rag. He twisted and turned in a gauge attempt to get away from me but I held my ground silently trying to not look at his big eyes which were slowly closing as the heart monitor began to count down until it was a dull flat line.

I made the mistake of looking round and saw his eyes one last time before they closed the look expressing more than words ever could the accusation as to why I had murdered him.

I choked back a sob and tried to remain strong as I pulled the wet rag from his mouth and stuffed it in a pocked before placing the oxygen mask over his head and grabbing a scalpel cutting the wire leading to the oxygen.

Then I switched off the heart monitor and exited the room trying to hold everything together as I pretended to be a doctor and bid the front desk nurse a good night.

As soon as I left the hospital I entered a nearby alley and fell into some trash cans as I began sobbing. I didn't understand why I felt this way since he was my enemy but he didn't deserve what I had done to him.

I could just see the look on his face in my mind as he accused me and it made me sick.

Suddenly a bird chirped and landed on the roof above me and knocked a nearby slate over which fell onto my head. I thought of only his eyes as I lost consciousness and drifted into a land infrared and hated.


End file.
